Moments
by Layyli
Summary: I'm not exactly Prince Charming" He whispered."You're too Prince Charming, just not the one I always expected.No long wavy hair and white horse.But I wouldn't mind settling for you in camo and combat boots." She smiled, leaning into his strong chest.
1. Prologue

------first touch-----

Jeremy Sherwood had just got home from basic training and was running with the other enlisted recruits on base, when Emmalin Holden spotted him. Her book bag, filled to the brim with the day's assignments, was gathered over her shoulder and her recently dyed hair was pulled back in a quick, messy ponytail. Emmalin was on her way home from school and was dreading it, home hadn't felt like home since her sister, Amanda, died but if anyone asked she'd smile and pretend to be okay.

Emmalin's face lit up with a genuine smile, the first in a long time, as she sprinted her way over to his tall frame. She quickly greeted him, asking how he'd been, and how basic training went. The petite army brat hadn't been this excited to see anybody in forever and hadn't even realized she missed the Army Private until she saw him again.

While she asked questions, Jeremy gave monotonous one-syllable answers, his dark eyes never once leaving hers, studying her. Wordlessly, his warm, calloused hand gently grasped her wrist, commenting that she'd lost weight. Jeremy's touch was tender and his fingertips only lingered for a few brief seconds, igniting sparks everywhere they brushed against Emmalin's soft skin. Her sun-kissed flesh tingled as if brushed by electric bolts.

"How can you pretend your happy?" Jeremy's deep voice asked, breaking the silence, her eyes widening at the question. He wasn't angry with her, he was telling her he understood, he realized how miserable Emmalin was, despite her efforts to appear happy. Her parents were a train wreck since Amanda's passing and Emmalin was doing everything she could to keep the remains of her life from falling in the trash can.

Later, when she thought more on that wonderful electric feeling Emmalin laughed that it could've been that 'lover's feeling' hopeless romantics always talked about. The feeling true love gave you whenever they touched you, the one that left you weak in the knees and gave your stomach butterflies. Too bad she didn't believe in any of that junk anymore, since Amanda's death the world seemed a whole lot darker and love just wasn't something she could take seriously. She wondered silently if falling for her dead sister's ex-boyfriend was wrong?


	2. Back From Iraq

-----Back from Iraq-----

It was a Saturday afternoon, the perfect sunny day, the kind that made Fort Marshall magical, the navy blue water curled in little waves that kissed the sandy shore. Emmalin Holden was babysitting the LeBlanc boys, T.J. and Finn, that day. The three Army Brats decided to make the best of the wonderful weather by taking the LeBlanc family dog, Lucky, for a walk, when she saw Jeremy Sherwood. It was the first time she'd seen him since his deployment to the Middle East, six months ago. It had been a rough year for her and her family but she was finally truly happy.

Lucky, the little dog, suddenly tore from his leash, taking off down the sidewalk to God knows where, leaving the three army brats standing there shocked. When Emmalin's brain finally registered what happened, she bolted at top speed after the little dog, the LeBlanc boys trailing after her.

"Lucky, Lucky!" she shouted after losing him on a busy street.

"Emmalin, he's never run away like that before, even when we didn't have him on the leash." Finn pouted, the little boy quickly grew worried. She knew that if they didn't find the dog soon he'd be reduced to tears.

"He's looking for something. He knew where to go after every turn, like he was chasing something." T.J. explained, gripping the missing dog's collar, his fingers tracing the patch that said '23rd Airborne'.

"We'll find him, guys." Emmalin smiled, thankful that her voice sounded more convinced then she really was.

The group turned the corner, searching along the sidewalk that lead even farther down the beach.

"Look there he is!" Finn shouted excitedly, pointing in Lucky's direction. The small dog was a few feet down the sidewalk, eagerly jumping up and down at a male figure's side.

"Jeremy." Emmalin smiled once she got close enough to recognize the nineteen year old, sprinting the rest of the distance to him and the dog, "Your back from the Middle East. I've been meaning to come see how you've been." Her eyes took him in as he kneeled down to pet Lucky's ears, his darker tan and stronger muscles were changes that came from being station in Iraq.

"Hey Emmalin. I just got back." Jeremy explained as he rose, his tall frame towering over her 5'5 figure. He was in shorts and running shoes, Lucky must have interrupted him right in the middle of his workout. When their eyes met she noticed how sad he looked, sadder than she'd ever seen him. She wondered what he experienced overseas that would make this unhappy look appear in his eyes?

"You found Lucky!" Shouted Finn, excited to know his dog was safe.

"How do you guys know Lucky?" Jeremy asked, raising a brow.

"He's our dog." T.J. showed Jeremy the now useless collar.

"Really? Lucky saved my life back in Iraq. I'm the one who put that patch on his collar. He's a good ole boy, I hope you guys take real good care of him." Jeremy explained, stroking the dog's fur again, his eyes suddenly looked even more forlorn.

"Yeah, he's like the best dog ever!" T.J. agreed.

Jeremy walked Emmalin and the LeBlancs back to the LeBlanc household, the little dog trailing his every move.

"You look good, healthy." Jeremy told Emmalin commenting on her improved weight, his hands in his pockets.

"Things are …good right now." She said smiling, as they reached the LeBlanc doorstep.

"Well, I'll see you Emmalin." Slowly turning away from her.

"I know we've never exactly been close friends or anything but…um… I'm here. If you need to talk, about anything. And I won't tell anyone." Emmalin called after Jeremy, her eyes following the lines of his back as he walked farther from the doorstep.

"Thanks. But I'm okay." He turned toward Emmalin brushing her off, Jeremy's voice sounded firm, but the confidence didn't reach his eyes.

Emmalin found the look in the Army Private's eyes unsettling, it left her worried. Jeremy could insist all he wanted that he was okay, but Emmalin Holden knew better.


	3. I'm More Stubborn Than You Know

-----First Attempt-----

It had been a week and Emmalin's nervous, worried thoughts of Jeremy Sherwood hadn't gotten any better. They had multiplied and left her an anxious mess. She always did this, worried about people, Emmalin would think about something non-stop until it drove her crazy.

The petite Army Brat had been known to go into obsessive baking binges whenever she was emotionally distressed. Emmalin had started baking through her problems when she was twelve and her family had just switched bases, leaving her with no friends to tell her feelings to. Michael and Claudia Joy Holden were shocked and scared the first few times they had walked into their kitchen to see a mass production of baked goods and their daughter producing even more from their oven. They had since learned to leave her be, and make sure to frequently stock the kitchen with flour.

When she was nervous she'd make cupcakes, loads and loads of cupcakes, there had been many times in the past year when all the counters of her family's spacious kitchen was filled to the brim with cupcakes of all sorts. When she was worried or scared she would make cookies, and not just chocolate chip but white chocolate macadamia nut, M&M, almond, sugar, gingerbread, peanut butter, plus various other types. Piles of cookies of all shapes and flavors would be everywhere in a matter of hours. Bread making occurred when Emmalin had something to apologize for. Most people would just apologize, but sometimes her stubbornness got in the way. Then again, most people wouldn't bake themselves silly. Brownies, when she was angry or frustrated. Pie was made when she had something to thank God for. That Friday morning, when Emmalin couldn't stand it anymore, she succumbed to one of her baking sprees.

"Sweetie, is there anything you need to talk about? I could go get your mother if you needed me to." General Michael Holden asked as he walked into his kitchen, finding his seventeen year old daughter covered in flour. Cookies, pies, cupcakes, brownies, and bread decorated the room in baker's dozens. Cookies because she worried about Jeremy, cupcakes because she was nervous something wasn't okay with him, bread because she should of tried harder to get him to talk to her, brownies because Major Sherwood probably wouldn't even notice anything was bothering his son and that made her angry, but mostly there was pie because Emmalin was thankful that Jeremy hadn't been hurt during his term in Iraq.

"I'm fine." She snapped, not looking up from the many apple pies she was decorating with brown sugar and cinnamon.

"Alright." Her father said while backing away slowly. Normally he and his wife would be able to tell what was wrong judging from what Emmalin was baking, but this time it was impossible since she was baking everything!

"I get it now!" The brunette shouted excitedly, rushing up the stairs and abandoning the messy kitchen.

"Damn, I will never understand teenage girls." The Army General sighed as he watched his daughter bolt out of the room.

Three hours later, Emmalin Holden stood at the doorstep of the Sherwood home trying to decide if she should knock. Taking a deep breath her small fist rapped the front door.

"Emmalin?" Private Jeremy Sherwood answered the door, looking down at the girl on his doorstep confused.

"Hey, Jeremy. Umm… I know it's last minute and all but I'm heading to the movies with some friends and you could tag along. I get if your busy or something." The Holden girl smiled, trying to hide what a bundle of nerves she was. She thought this was a great idea because she could watch him at the movies and find out how he was doing.

"I'm sorry, I can't." He apologized. Emmalin could smell it, the booze on the nineteen-year-old's breath. She hadn't ever touched alcohol but knew enough about it to tell that he hadn't been drinking beer or something, he'd been sipping hard liquor. Jeremy clearly wasn't drunk but Emmalin thought that he might be slightly tipsy.

"That's cool. Maybe some other time? You just…you looked kind of down last time I saw you, which I get because of the dog and all." The Army Brat didn't even bother to mask her disappointment, her amber eyes never leaving his dark ones.

"Emmalin, I'm fine." The solider reasoned with her. His deep, masculine voice didn't sound very convincing though. Emmalin knew better, knew he wasn't being completely honest with her.

Emmalin left that night even more concerned then she had arrived as. She sighed as she realized she had better pick up some flour and sugar on her way home.


	4. Try, Try, and Try Again

-----Persistence-----

Jeremy Sherwood's underage drinking had gotten him in trouble the night before, Emmalin Holden's father told her that morning. Her eyes widened as he told her about how Jeremy showed up at Roxy LeBlanc's Hump Bar completely smashed and then got in a fight. Jeremy decked a council woman's son and two other guys jumped in, and the whole thing had been right in front of Denise Sherwood, his mother. Smiling at her father after he finished his story, she excused herself, saying she made plans to meet a friend at the mall.

"Stop, Emmalin." Michael Holden called, making the tiny brunette freeze, all her muscles tense. Wondering if her father just caught her in the middle of a lie, Emmalin slowly turned to face the Army General. "Take the car." He smiled at her, tossing the keys her way.

"Thanks Dad." She practically ran out of the house. The seventeen year old got in the car and started the ignition, making her way to Jeremy Sherwood's residence. Emmalin reached her destination after about five minutes of easy driving and cautiously pulled into the house's driveway, being extra careful not to hit anything…this time. Driving still wasn't her forte and she frequently pummeled things, especially when turning into driveways. In the last six months, Emmalin had hit trashcans, mailbox, three bikes, a skateboard, and two very, very angry squirrels. As it turns out running over mailboxes was a federal offense, all injured mailboxes had been replaced and thankfully no charges had ever been filed….so far.

Sliding the car keys into her back pocket of her favorite pair of faded jeans, Emmalin stepped out of the vehicle and nervously made her way across the Sherwood lawn, stepping up the porch steps and walking to the front door. The brunette glanced through the house windows, pleased to see Jeremy resting on the couch. She knocked loudly, waiting patiently for him.

"Emmalin. Hey." Jeremy greeted her, surprised to see the girl on his doorstep. Looking at his face, she gasped taking in the swollen side of his lip and bruised cheek.

"Yeah, it's a good look, huh?" He sighed, stepping aside to let the Holden girl in.

"Jeremy. What happened last night after I left?" She asked following him into the living-room, watching as the nineteen year old switched the TV off and sat on the couch.

"I'm old enough to go to war, Emmalin, I should be old enough to drink." He explained.

"I…I guess, but the fight? What happened, Jeremy?" Walking into the Sherwood kitchen, Emmalin dug through their freezer searching for an ice pack.

"Guess you don't need me to tell you 'to make yourself at home'." He chuckled, changing the subject, as Emmalin returned placing an icepack against his cheek.

"Are you sure your okay?" Her eyes pleading with the Army Private, his behavior was worrying her sick.

"I'm fine." He insisted. Jeremy was a private person and opening up to people wasn't his strong point, surely these were traits he picked up from his father Major Frank Sherwood.

"It's been a rough year for everyone, especially me. Did you hear about a guy named Logan?" She said, honestly. It was almost hilarious to her now, how desperate she was to stay in Charleston. Emmalin still never wanted to leave but she thought her method of stopping the move was all wrong. She was almost willing to marry a man she didn't love, and for what? To stay on a post she didn't want to leave? To not abandon the last place her sister lived at? Maybe even a part of her did it for Jeremy, she didn't want to leave him either. The feelings Emmalin was having weren't out of the blue, they had been developing since after she that run in with him last summer, almost a year ago, after he got home from basics. Logan was a tool to forget Jeremy, because loving her dead sister's ex-boyfriend was simply more complicated then she could handle. But here Emmalin was, in his home, all because she couldn't stay away. Realization dawned on her that no matter how many 'Logan's she used to try to get over Jeremy, none of them would even mean a thing to her, Jeremy was the only one who would ever mean a damn thing to her and he was very off limits. Her parents had freaked out when Amanda dated him, Emmalin dating the nineteen year old would go over even less well. She could just picture that vein in her father's forehead throbbing at the thought.

"Yeah, that didn't sound to good." He chuckled, his gloomy eyes looking up at her.

"It wasn't and for a while I didn't think anything would ever be okay again." She admitted, Jeremy's relaxed manor was making her less rigid, things were getting more comfortable for her.

"And they are now?" He asked, staring into the petite brunette's amber eyes again.

"Yeah, everything's amazing right now. But back then I didn't think it would be. And I know things will be great for you soon too." Emmalin told him, smiling.

"Thing about that is, I don't think it will be." His deep, husky voice sent chills down her spine, even from across the room. The forlornness evident in his tone, filling Emmalin with a sense of horrible dread and concern. He sounded eerily calm, defeated almost.

Suddenly they heard the front door swing open and in walked Major Sherwood, Jeremy's father looked at them both, surprised to see the Post Commander's daughter in his living room. He threw his son a look and then greeted Emmalin politely. She realized the recent events must have strained their relationship…again.

"Hey Major Sherwood. I just stopped by to see Jeremy but I should really get going now. I've got a busy day ahead of me." Emmalin smiled, careful not to sound rude.

"Yeah, I'll walk you out." Jeremy said, rising from the couch and brushing past his father, he didn't even bother to put shoes on.

They walked in silence down the driveway until they reached her car. Being chivalrous, he opened her car door for her ,one hand in his pocket, thanking Emmalin for stopping by. Biting her lip, she leaned in and wrapped her arms around his warm, muscular frame, burying herself in Jeremy's chest. Her soft hand patted his back soothingly and she breathed his clean, sandalwood scent in.

"Be good." Emmalin whispered in the enlisted man's ear before she pulled away, leaving him surprised by her random actions. The brunette jumped in the car and pulled away to finish her day. The Army Brat harbored an ominous feeling that something bad was going to happen soon, but also realized that she herself had gotten too emotionally attached to pull away from the troubled solider.


	5. Dare to Share Your Hospital Bed?

-----The Hospital-----

Everything was supposed to be fine, today was her father's big promotion ceremony. Emmalin had done her hair and make-up all pretty, found a nice formal dress, and wore these horribly painful shoes that matched her dress and made her legs look fantastic. The ceremony was beautiful, everything had gone as planned, all of her family's close friends attended. General Michael Holden looked so proud as he received his second star.

All of Claudia Joy and Michael's most important friends grouped together after the ceremony, laughing and reminiscing, wishing her father many blessings. Emmalin looked over and saw Major Frank Sherwood and his wife Denise, her parent's best friends and Jeremy's parents, they both looked so nice that evening. Mrs. Sherwood was dressed in a silky black dress and wore her dark hair pulled back. They looked so happy, not knowing how horrible that night would be.

It was 10:00 p.m. when her mother came barging into her room, announcing that Denise and Frank were at the E.R., that Jeremy had shot himself, that he was alive and that's all they knew. Everything after that was a blur, she didn't remember putting those horrible painful shoes back on or jumping in the car with her parents, couldn't recall walking into the waiting room. The thing that she knew would never fade from her mind was the looks on Jeremy's parents' faces. Mrs. Sherwood looked like her world had just shattered, she was still dressed in her attire from earlier but now her make-up ran in trails down her face. The normally calm, cool, and collected Major Sherwood was clearly upset, not in the angry way but the 'how the hell did this happen?' way, his hands shaking wildly. Emmalin couldn't keep herself from staring at the dark crimson that stained his previously spotless dress uniform…Jeremy's blood.

"Please. He's okay, right? He's okay?" Emmalin remembered asking, her voice an octave higher and shaking frantically.

"I don't know, I just don't know. Why the hell don't I know how my boy is?" Frank Sherwood whispered, his voice so soft, Emmalin almost had to strain to hear him. Looking him in the eyes, she realized the Army man was crying softly. Emmalin watched as sobs took over Mrs. Sherwood's body, her tall frame shaking violently. More people showed up, Roxy and Trevor LeBlanc, Roland Burton with his daughter in tow, but strangely no Pamela Moran, the close group of Army wives gathered around Mrs. Sherwood, cradling her trembling body. Michael Holden and Corporal LeBlanc tried to comfort the crying Major, but he pushed them away, not wanting their soothing words.

"I knew he was struggling. His best friend died in Iraq, right in front of him. I didn't even try to talk to him about it. I watched while he drank and got in fights, he wasn't dealing and I didn't even try. I could've stopped him. I should've done something." Major Sherwood said, his voice still shaking.

"You weren't the only one." She felt all eyes on her, as she said this, everyone looking at her. "I saw how sad he was, when I looked him in the eyes, I knew…and I tried to talk to him about it, I did but Jeremy wouldn't tell me anything. He didn't want to talk about it. We were in your living room, and you walked in…and…and I could've told you. I should of said something." Salt droplets fell down Emmalin's cheeks, as she looked Major Sherwood in the eyes, both of them chocking back sobs.

"Babydoll, don't blame yourself for not telling me something I should've clearly known. God, all the signs were there, of PTSD, I just didn't want to see them." Frank Sherwood, replied, his hand patting her back gently as her wails grew.

A middle-aged African-American nurse walked up, her blue scrubs wrinkled and stained, "Frank and Denise Sherwood?" she asked as her eyes sought the couple out.

"Yes." Denise said eagerly, torn between dreading and praying for this news update.

"Your son, is out of surgery. We removed the bullet, and he's lucky to get off with only a broken rib. He must've been aiming for his heart and missed, but only just barely. He's okay and he's on morphine right now for the pain, you can see him in a little while. We'll be holding him for at least the next few days." The nurse explained, reading from a chart in her hands, occasionally looking up to make sure her patient's parents understood.

Emmalin released the breath she hadn't even realized she'd been holding. Immediate relief washed over everyone in the waiting room.

"He's okay. Thank God." Major Sherwood sighed, happiness evident on his face. Without a doubt this was the happiest she had ever seen the man.

Thirty minutes later, the same nurse lead them down a corridor at the far end of the hospital. The overbearing smell of cleaning products and the too-white walls reminded Emmalin of just how much she hated hospitals, only bad things happened in the medical building of Fort Marshall.

"Now he's on morphine…and a lot of it, there's a good chance he might be out of it for a few hours." The nurse said looking to Major Sherwood, stopping in front of a door almost at the end of the lengthy hallway. Mrs. Sherwood, eager to make sure her son was okay, practically threw the nurse out of the way, forcing her way into the room.

"Well okay then…all of you can follow her." The nurse said, staring after Mrs. Sherwood.

"Hi sweetie." Mrs. Sherwood cooed, smoothing her baby's forehead, tears falling again.

"Ummh. Hey…Mom." Jeremy's deep voice groaned, dazed from the medication. Emmalin strained, trying to see past the nurse and Major Sherwood, who were discussing how the surgery went and what to expect. She couldn't see much, her 5'5 figure could barely glimpse past the Major's shoulder. Roughly, eager to see Jeremy for herself, she pushed her way through the door, as Mrs. Sherwood had previously done.

Emmalin's eyes were momentarily blinded by the too-white walls, her senses attacked by the overbearing smell of antibacterial cleaners. After adjusting, her eyes fell on the solider in the medical bed, laying on his back. The Army Brat was thrilled to find that he still looked like Jeremy, still looked the way he did the last time they saw each other. The pale sheets made his sun-kissed skin stand out vividly, Jeremy wasn't even wearing a standard hospital gown, revealing a tattoo she had never seen before and a cluster of bandages over one of his shoulders and side.

"Shhh…hold still baby." Mrs. Sherwood cooed, examining the bandages on her son's chest. Emmalin saw a hospital gown on the back of a chair pulled close to the bed and realized Jeremy's mother must have taken it off of him, to get a good look at the doctor's handiwork.

" Mmm. Mom, I'm fine." The nineteen year old insisted, still groggy, pulling his hospital gown back on. His mother pulled a chair close to the bed before taking a seat.

"No you're not." Emmalin said her voice trembling, suddenly getting Jeremy and Denise's attention, "you shot yourself, you are not fine." Her eyes were watering again, the loud thumping of the medical machines was making her heart thump loudly, as if a caged bird was fighting it's way out of her chest. She could hear Jeremy's heartbeat on the heart monitor, despite the night's events it's rhythm was steady and strong, her heart instinctively matching it.

Slowly, she pulled her painful, but oh-so-cute, heels off and tossed them at the foot of the hospital bed, hearing a clank as the silver shoes hit the white linoleum floor. The Army Brat's hands fisted in her blue-green dress, pulling it up as she slide on the bed, her knees resting at the edge near his feet, forgetting the older woman watching them. Her amber eyes bore into his dark ones, as she pulled her body over to him, resting on her side with her chest nestled against him, her head resting against his shoulder, petite hands fisted in his hospital gown.

"You're not fine. You shot yourself." Tears pouring down her face now, as she tried and failed to choke back a sob. Emmalin buried herself in him, basking in his body heat, her salty tears drenching Jeremy. Without thinking, Emmalin placed a soft kiss on his neck, she had never kissed him before, her lips felt a small spark as they touched his skin. Her full lips trailed kisses across his cheek and forehead softly, tears spilling steadily, one of her hands running through his buzz cut, the other tangling around his neck. Neither aware of the growing audience.

"Emmalin, stop crying." Jeremy mumbled, one of his hands sliding through her long, thick locks, tousling the curly up do she had spent hours creating earlier. He rubbed her back comfortingly, as she continued to sob against his shoulder.

"You shot yourself. You almost died." Emmalin whispered in his ear, "You almost died, Jeremy." Leaving tender kisses on his shoulder now, inhaling his sandalwood scent.

"I know." He replied gently, Jeremy's dark eyelashes fluttering as he struggled to stay awake. A side effect of morphine is sleepiness, and the solider was slumbering within minutes. The younger Holden following soon after, cuddling against Jeremy's warm body.


	6. Don't Start Crying Again

God, his chest hurt. That was all Jeremy Sherwood could think as he was stirred from his deep, morphine-induced sleep. It took him a moment to realize where he was, in a hospital after he shot himself.

His dark eyelashes fluttered open slowly, his eyes burning as they adjusted to the harsh fluorescent light that filled the hospital room. Dark brown eyes drifted across the room, finding his father reading silently in a chair next to his bed, still wearing his dress uniform, his mother nowhere to be found. His eyes glided downward finding the Holden girl sleeping in his bed, practically draped over his body, their limbs entangled. His dad had thrown his dress jacket over the brunette, to keep her from getting cold.

Emmalin's dark hair, still curly from the night before, fanned out around her like a halo, her dress wrinkled and bunched around their knees, her head nestled in the crook of his neck. Jeremy noticed how her hands were gripping him, clutching his hospital gown, even in her slumber. Getting a better look at her face he realized there were dark mascara trails leading down her cheeks, she had been crying.

The nineteen year old groaned, pain tearing through the side opposite Emmalin, his body shifting slowly careful not to wake the sleeping girl. Despite the pain, it felt good to stretch his muscles. How long had he been out for? Major Sherwood quickly turned toward the bed, smiling wholehearted when he saw that his son was awake.

"Good to see you awake, boy. Scared the shit out of me." The blond smiled, rubbing his son's buzz cut affectionately, his eyes shining. Frank and Jeremy's relationship could usually be described as difficult at best, but they had their moments.

"Hey Dad. How long have I been out? How long's she been out?" Jeremy asked, yawning, only slightly uncomfortable. The elephant in the room still unspoken, 'why did he shoot himself?'. The nineteen year old figured it was only a matter of time before his father asked, Major Sherwood was a straight-to-the-point kind of man and didn't like to beat around the bush.

"Couple hours. It's around 5:30 am. Your Mom went to get some coffee, she's been worried outta her mind, kid." The Major laughed, a smile still covering his face. God, it felt amazing to see that his only son was going to make it, that he'd be okay soon.

"What's Emmalin doing here? Where's her parents?" Directing his questions to the seventeen year old on top of him.

"Well Michael and Claudia Joy went to go get everybody a change of clothes and… Emmalin sort of threw herself on top of you last night. How long have you two been dating, Jeremy?" Frank asked gently, not wanting to prod his son at the moment.

"We're not dating. She's just a friend, Dad." Jeremy finished quickly, almost defensively.

"Not from what I saw last night." Questioned the Major, an eyebrow raised.

"What happened last night?"  
"She was loving up on you, boy? You don't remember?" Frank almost had to laugh. Not that he would approve of his son having a relationship with a minor but Jeremy's lack of recollection was sort of ironic. The nurse last night mentioned that the morphine might make Jeremy kinda out of it.

"Nope. I remember the ambulance ride here and that's all. Loving up on?" He frowned at his father's choice of words.

"Yeah. Emmalin was crying and kissing all over you. Didn't notice a damn thing other than you. Mike looked like he wanted to deck ya." Frank laughed.

"I kissed our post commander's underage daughter right in front of him? That's great." He groaned, as a nurse walked in to shot pain meds into his IV. Quickly briefing the two before taking her leave.

"Nah, she did all the kissing, on the cheek and forehead mostly. Emmalin didn't kiss you on the lips or anything. You were pretty out of it ,Jere, you fell asleep while she was crying on you, then she fell asleep. When I woke up you both were still out cold."

"She didn't even change outta her ceremony dress." Stroking Emmalin's long, dark hair gently, feeling the silky strands slip through his calloused fingers.

"Emmalin feels partly responsible." Major Sherwood said sternly.

"Why?" His finger trailing across her full bottom lip, feeling the rose-colored flesh quiver beneath his gentle touch.

"She said she tried talkin' to you, knew you were feeling blue. You should set her straight when she wakes up."

"I'll talk to her."

"That's good, son. So you're not dating her?"

"We're not dating, Dad."

"Do you wish you were?" Okay, so he couldn't help himself and prodded his son a little, but just a little.

"She's only seventeen." His thumb unconsciously stroking her tear-stained cheek, his eyes staring at her disheveled appearance. For some reason the solider found her even more attractive then he normally did, he found her tousled look sexy even. Although he knew he shouldn't be thinking of her that way, especially not in a hospital.

"Well that doesn't answer my question."

"I'm no good for her."

"Still avoiding the question."

"I've thought about it, recently. But it can't happen."

"Emmalin's a pretty little thing." The Major commented, watching his son's gentle displays of affection toward the girl.

"I'm no good for her." He mumbled, willing his father to stop asking about his love life, or lack thereof.

"Sure you are." The most surprising part of this statement was that his dad actually sounded dead serious. Not that Major Sherwood wasn't serious because truth be told the man was never anything but serious, it was what he was saying seriously that shocked his son.

"Dad, I shot myself last night. On purpose." Jeremy figured he might as well clear the air with his ole man right now, get it out of the way. Even though Jeremy and Frank Sherwood fought 99.9% of the time, they truly loved each other and would do anything within their power to help the other out. They really drove each other crazy most of the time, but only because they were so similar, not that either of the stubborn men would ever admit it.

"Balled her eyes out until you started comforting her. She cares about you a lot, boy." Frank revealed, nudging his son softly. The blond didn't feel this was the time to discuss the happenings of last night, he just was happy that his son turned out okay and that was all that really mattered.

"I know." His thumb tracing the mascara trails on her soft cheek, making the teenager on his chest whimper softly.

"Look here comes your Mom." Major Sherwood said, "He's up, Dee." Smiling at his wife, as a relieved expression passed over her face.

"Jeremy, thank God you're awake…and alive. You had me in hysterics last night." Kissing her son's forehead affectionately, relief evident in her voice. His mother had always loved and adored him, so of course her son's suicide attempt would drive her mad.

"I'm alright Mom." Jeremy insisted, knowing she wouldn't listen to him anyway. Denise Sherwood was going to worry herself sick about his well-being no matter what he said, she was a great mom and sincerely adored him.

"Thank God. Is Emmalin still sleeping?" Peeking at the brunette that rested against her son, the unspoken question evident in her voice, she looked toward her husband for a clue as to what was going on between the two young adults. In response all she received was a shrug.

"I think she's waking up." The solider replied as Emmalin shifted against him, her body burring itself deeper into his body heat, her eyes fluttering open, long eyelashes tickling his shoulder. He heard the petite Army Brat mew into his chest softly, her hands gripping him tighter, the Major's dress jacket slipping off her shoulders slightly.

"Morning." He whispered gently, pulling his father's jacket back over her frame.

"Morning." Emmalin moaned into the crook of Jeremy's neck, "Am I hurting you?" she whispered, her warm breath tickling his collar.

"No. You're fine." His parents quietly left the room giving the two a private moment.

"God, what the hell's wrong with you? You had me worried sick, Jeremy. You shot yourself? You shot yourself!" She yelled suddenly angry, sitting up with her hands still grasping him. Jeremy's side rippled with amusement, the force of his laughter shaking the Army Brat gently. "You're laughing? You shot yourself and you're laughing?" He had been told on more than one occasion that the young Holden had a temper, she could go from zero to sixty in seconds. Jeremy was surprised by this angry, glaring Emmalin, he had always thought of her as a sweet, little thing, someone delicate and fragile, like a flower maybe.

"It's not that I shot myself, it's that you're the first person to even mention it." He smirked, his chuckles subsiding now, his broken rib aching slightly.

"You almost died Jeremy. God, you almost died." Her amber eyes suddenly filled with melancholy, tears gathering in the corners of her eyes before slowly falling down her cheeks. Smudging her already ruined makeup.

"Mmhhh. Don't cry anymore…please. I'm fine, I'm not dead, I'm right here, okay?" His calloused thumb wiping her tears gently, pulling her to his chest again. He didn't want Emmalin to cry, he didn't understand why he suddenly cared so much for the Holden girl but he couldn't stand seeing her in tears.

Her tears drenched his shoulder, the brunette's sobs shook the bed. His arms subconsciously wrapped around her, rubbing her back soothingly as he shushed her kindly.

"Emmalin, I'm fine. Stop crying." Jeremy whispered against her ear, pleading with her to stop the heavy flow of tears, his hand smoothing her glossy hair back. Salt droplets fell from her eyes as intensely as the rain in Charleston did in late April. Without thinking he kissed Emmalin's forehead gently, his lips caressing her soft skin. Instantly Jeremy recognized how wrong that was. There were tons of reasons, a few of them being that she was too young, that her father was his boss, that her father was a General and he was enlisted, and then of course he had dated her sister before she died.

Despite all of the reasons why kissing Emmalin Holden was wrong, he couldn't help but think it felt right. Kissing the pretty girl in his lap, even just barely on the forehead, was incredible. Reluctantly, the solider noticed how perfectly Emmalin's small body fit against his much larger one, like she was specially made by God to rest against him. But he couldn't let himself focus on her like this, he might accidentally kiss her again and she didn't need that, there couldn't be a 'them'. Dating, and kissing, Emmalin Holden was not something he should engage in.

Her tears slowly came to a stop, Emmalin's amber eyes staring straight into his brown ones. Slim arms wrapped around his neck as she kissed his cheek gently, her full lips brushing against him as soft as a feather. The feel of her rosy lips was exhilarating, he'd never felt anything like it before.

One thing Jeremy Sherwood had plenty of experience with was girls, he burned through women recklessly. Girls flocked to him in herds, he had been told on more than one occasion that they liked the 'rugged sexy, bad boy' look he pulled off effortlessly. The Private had a habit of sleeping with girls and never calling again, he'd hooked up with more women in the last year than most guys ever did in their lifetime. Jeremy Sherwood preferred one night stands to relationships. He wasn't an emotional guy and being in love with somebody meant lots of emotional-ness, or so he always thought. He'd honestly never been in love before but Jeremy thought Emmalin Holden was easily someone he could grow to love, especially if her kissing him on the cheek left him absolutely breathless. Damn, was he ever fearful now.

"You scared me last night."

"I didn't mean to scare you." Stroking her cheek softly, their eyes locking again.

Fuck, when did she start meaning this much to him? The Army Private had ran into her a lot these last few weeks since returning home, and she occupied his mind occasionally but when did he become this attracted to her? Sure Emmalin was a beauty; with dark hair and eyes, tan skin, rosy lips, not to mention she had a centerfold figure. Most of her clothes left a lot to the imagination but anyone could tell that she was filled out in all of a man's favorite places despite how skinny she was. Dejectedly though, Jeremy Sherwood realized that his feelings for her were more than physical. Here he was in bed with a beautiful, gorgeous, innocent girl and the last thing on his mind was sex, Jeremy was focusing on the tears that had moments ago flowed from her eyes.

"Can I see it?" Emmalin asked nervously, nibbling her thumbnail while waiting for his response.

"See what?"

"The bullet wound." She whispered softly, as if afraid that saying the word bullet would result in pain for him. Wordlessly, he began tugging his hospital gown off his shoulder, groaning quietly in the process. Emmalin gently swatted his hands away and carefully pulled the gown off with her own hands, then gently removed his bandages.

Jeremy's chest looked awful, even he thought so. There were dark ebony and plum bruises coating the hard cords of muscle on his chest, the impact of the gun shot had caused all the shadowy marks. The worst of it was the sinister-looking red cuts, one from the bullet and one from the surgery to remove the bullet and repair his rib. The skin had been pulled back together with stitches, the nurse from earlier had mentioned that he had about twenty-five.

"Oh, Jeremy." Emmalin moaned, her hand reluctantly stroking some of the gloomy bruises, being especially gentle so she wouldn't hurt him.

"It's not as bad as it looks… I don't feel anything." He insisted, trying to prevent her from crying again. He knew she was worried silly over him right now.

"Well it looks bad, Jeremy and I'm sure that if you weren't on morphine it would hurt just as bad." The Army Brat whispered, fingers slowly, carefully caressing the scars now, before darting to the other side of his chest to trace his tattoo. The Army Black Hawk tattoo was identical to the one his dad had on his arm, Jeremy had gotten it a few year back.

"You know what's ironic? I've never been in bed with a guy before now. I guess I always thought when I was finally got in bed with someone it wouldn't be a hospital bed." She laughed softly, receiving a chuckle from him. Her confession had lightened the slight tension that had gathered when they saw his cringe-worthy injuries.

"Emmalin, sweetheart?" Claudia Joy interrupted from the doorway, peeking in at the two. Her eyes glancing over the close proximity of their bodies, watching her seventeen year old daughter nearly straddling the soldier's lap.

"Oh. Mom, hey." Emmalin greeted, her eyes and hands never leaving Jeremy's chest.

"Morning, glad to see your awake Jeremy." She smiled, clearly wondering about his relationship with her daughter. "Emmalin, we should go. The Doctor's probably going to be checking on Jeremy soon and I'm sure there are things the Sherwood's need to discuss." Claudia Joy was approaching the bed now.

"Umm. Okay." Emmalin agreed reluctantly, she slide off the nineteen year old being cautious not to hurt him. Emmalin's thin arms wrapped around his neck in a gentle embrace "I'll visit soon, 'kay? Be good." she whispered in his ear before leaving a tender kiss on his cheek. Mrs. Holden handed Emmalin her shoes, dragging her daughter from the hospital room before she even had time to put them on.

He watched her back as she exited, he couldn't help but wish she could stay longer. Emmalin turned back to glance at Jeremy, a smile gracing her delicate features, once again leaving him with that breathless feeling.

"So what happened while I was gone, boy?" Major Sherwood asked laughing, walking in after the Holden's had left and taking a seat in the chair at his bedside.

"There's no wedding plans if that's what you're asking." Jeremy joked, knowing his dad wasn't going to let up until they talked about this. One thing they both had in common was their stubbornness, clearly the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

"You kiss her?" He prodded, slugging his son lightly on the shoulder.

"Not on the lips…and it was a one time thing." He insisted.

"Who you kidding? You're probably already thinking of a pet name to call her or something." He chuckled.


	7. I'm Not Snooping, I'm Cleaning

It was a Tuesday, the day before Jeremy Sherwood got out of the hospital. He'd been in the Fort Marshall Medical Center for two weeks and Emmalin Holden had visited him almost every other day. The Sherwoods had decided to forgo a stay at the PTSD clinic in Raleigh because it would interrupt Jeremy's physical training for his broken rib, he would however be in intense therapy and closely monitored. As worried as she was about him, Emmalin couldn't be help but be happy that Jeremy wasn't leaving for a month.

That day Claudia Joy and fellow members of 'the tribe' decided that surprising the Sherwoods with a clean house would be a welcome homecoming surprise, since they had spent the last two weeks in the intensive care unit. Emmalin had somehow been talked into it, she was happy to help but honestly no seventeen year old wanted to spend the day housecleaning, especially not a house that wasn't even their own.

"Should we do their laundry? Even Frank's. You think he'd be the kinda fella that's bothered by another lady touchin' his shorts?" Roxy LeBlanc asked, her thick Alabama accent disrupting the silence that covered the Sherwood living room.

Her mother turned to the newest army wife, an amused smile decorating her face, "I've honestly never thought about it, Roxy. But if I had spent the last two weeks living in the hospital I wouldn't complain about who touched my underwear." Claudia Joy's voice was filled with soft laughter as she replied.

"I think any good man can appreciate his shorts being clean, doesn't necessarily matter who cleans them as long as they're clean." Dr. Roland Burton remarked. Emmalin really enjoyed Dr. Burton's company, he was someone she knew she could confide in and the psychologist often gave her amazing advice.

Strolling further into the living room Emmalin could see it, the dark crimson stain that flawed the otherwise perfect tan carpet. The discolored spot was near the couch, he shot himself near the couch she realized, her stomach suddenly doing backflips as a wave of nausea washed over her. Following her daughter's gaze, Claudia Joy noticed the tarnished carpet.

"We'd better take care of that before tomorrow. I'll have a professional wash it this afternoon." Claudia Joy announced.

"It's dark, they might have to take out the carpet." Roxy attributed, a sad look covering her features.

"Alright, how about I take care of the living room, Claudia Joy takes the master bedroom, Roxy gets the kitchen and Emmalin can clean Jeremy's room?" Dr. Burton suggested, clearing the air of the uncomfortable silence. While the Sherwood home definitely wasn't dirty ,or even remotely messy, it had gathered plenty of dust in the two weeks since being temporarily abandoned.

"And whoever's finished can start the laundry, kay?" Roxy finished, in agreement with the physician. The seventeen year old nodded before walking down the hallway to a linen closet, pulling clean bedding from the confines. She paused at the door, realizing she had never been in a boy's bedroom before, her long slender fingers gripped the door knob and pushed the door open gently.

Instantly her senses were assaulted by the smell of her crush, his clean scent bringing a smile to her face. Jeremy's room was surprisingly clean, with the exception of his unmade bed. She surveyed the deep blue walls, frowning at the scantily clad girl posters that hung around the room, Emmalin wondered if it would be considered invasive to pull the slutty pictures free from the walls. Her willowy legs carried her around the room, Emmalin didn't consider herself nosy, this was just curiosity.

The Holden girl pulled the top drawer of his dresser open, glancing at the socks and boxers neatly organized in there before pulling it shut. She almost had to laugh at how color coded everything was, on second thought this was definitely an invasion of privacy. She pulled the second drawer open, revealing Jeremy's orderly t-shirt drawer, Emmalin quickly grabbed one off the top, a plain navy blue cotton shirt with short sleeves, and pulled it to her chest feeling the softness, inhaling the masculine sandalwood scent she loved so much.

"Having fun?" Dr. Burton asked, chuckling. Emmalin turned around startled, holding the evidence behind her back, ashamed.

"Sorry…don't tell?" The brunette blushed, embarrassed to be caught going through Jeremy's things. She neatly placed the shirt back in it's proper location.

"This'll stay between us. So what's going on with you and Private Sherwood, anyway?" Dr. Burton promised, walking farther into the room.

"Nothing." Emmalin answered a little to quickly, as she began stripping the bedding. Emmalin pulled the messy, still rumpled sheets at her feet and began pulling the clean flannel one's over a corner.

"You're sure? Doesn't look like nothing to me, Emmalin. Come on, I'm not going to tell anybody." He grabbed an end of the sheet and pulled it over one side of the bed.

"I can't stop thinking about him. Is that wrong? I mean he dated Amanda, and he's older, and…and he's sort of suicidal at the moment." She sighed

"Well let's ignore the PTSD for a minute, does he make you happy? Is he someone your looking to be in a committed relationship with? Is your attraction purely physical?" Roland asked, glad to help the confused teen.

"He makes me happy, not really for any apparent reason, he just does. I don't think we could date right now, but if he asked I'd probably say yes. And I swear I don't like him just because he's fun to look at!" She answered quickly, smiling as she joked with the doctor.

"Promise not to run away with Jeremy?" Roland raised an eyebrow, teasing his young counselee.

"That was a one time thing!" She laughed, knowing that the doctor was just kidding her.

"Then you are the one who needs to decide if having a relationship with Private Sherwood is appropriate, and then your parents should decide if the answer is 'yes'. If you really feel that he's someone you want to pursue then you should pursue, it's perfectly healthy and normal to have feelings for someone your sister dated. Him dating Amanda doesn't mean that he can't or shouldn't be involved with you, provided that you both aren't using the relationship to replace Amanda… And I think he likes you back."

"Really? What makes you say that?"

"Frank might of mentioned something."

"Like what?"

"Frank was telling me that lots of girls, pretty ones, were flocking to Jeremy's bedside, but you're the only one he paid any attention to. He's pretty notorious for being a lady's man."

"I'm not surprised that he's a lady's man. Jeremy graduated a few years ago and his name's still on all the bathroom stalls and he even made top five on the Wall."

"The Wall?"

"The Wall, you know the wall of best kissers in the girl's room. He's number three out of at least a hundred."

"God, girls keep a best list in the bathroom? Back in my day, we never ganged up on dates like that. I wonder how many girls Jeremy's kissed to get to number three?"

"Ha ha ha. Things change."

"Not that I condone snooping, but did you check under the mattress for Playboy's yet?"

"You think Jeremy's got any?"

"Well when I lived with my mother I kept everything I didn't want her to know about under my mattress."

"Hmm I wish you had asked me that before we made the bed, there's no point in checking now since I'd just have to remake it!" She laughed.

"Well something's of a man's are just private and not something a woman should know about. Like how much money was really lost at Poker Night with the guys."

With that Dr. Burton swiftly exited Jeremy's bedroom to start his work in the living room, Emmalin laughed as she started cleaning…really cleaning this time.


	8. Say You Do,Say You Wont,Just Be Gentle

Michael and Claudia Joy Holden had to leave Fort Marshall and venture to Raleigh for the next three days, leaving their seventeen year old daughter to stay with the Sherwoods since she couldn't just take off from school. Emmalin didn't know what to expect, she and Jeremy Sherwood had been slowly dancing around each other for the past three weeks, neither one knowing what to say or do since he had been released from the hospital.

During his stay in the Fort Marshall Medical Center, she had broken down into an emotional wreck, exposing all her feelings for the nineteen year old solider. Anytime they were near each other Emmalin made an excuse to leave as soon as possible, the fear of Jeremy rejecting her was almost too much for the youngest Holden to bear. As ridiculous as it was she thought that if they didn't have a chance to speak he wouldn't have a chance to turn her down.

"Here sweetheart" Claudia Joy smiled, handing Emmalin her luggage, filled to the brim with clothes for the next three days. "Why did you pack so much? You're not even staying for the whole week!" Her mother laughed, knowing Emmalin always over packed. Okay so she might have been notorious for packing overboard, but no one could ever say she wasn't prepared!

The mother and daughter walked down the driveway to the Sherwood home. Emmalin didn't see why she couldn't stay by herself while her parents where in Raleigh, it was only three days after all. She was absolutely aware of all the opportunities Jeremy would have to reject her during her stay in his home. Claudia Joy stepped up to the door of the familiar house and rang the bell.

"Claudia Joy, Emmalin. Glad you're here!" Denise Sherwood smiled, hugging both of the Holdens tightly.

"Hey Mrs. Sherwood." Emmalin said politely to her mother's best friend, returning the strong hug slowly.

"Thanks so much for watching Emmalin, Denise, Michael and I really appreciate it." Claudia Joy told Denise, stepping inside the house.

"No problem! Emmalin how about you bring that suitcase inside and leave it by the doorway, it looks heavy so I'll have Jeremy carry it upstairs for you when he gets home."

Emmalin did as instructed, dropping her heavy bag next to the coat rack. She followed the two older women into the living room, sitting down on the couch. The smell of home-cooking filled the house, she knew from past occasions that Mrs. Sherwood was a fantastic cook. Emmalin adored the Sherwood home, it was always so 'homey', like it could be featured in one of her mother's "Home and Garden" Magazines.

"How is Jeremy anyways?" Claudia Joy asked, giving her best friend a supportive look, taking a seat next to Emmalin on the couch.

"He's good. He's getting through it. Jeremy's at physical therapy right now, for his rib. He's got that three times a week and counseling every other morning."

"That's great! Where's Frank? Are you sure he doesn't mind Emmalin staying the next few days?"

"Frank's at work, he's switched shifts with another officer so he could go to counseling with Jeremy in the mornings, and of course he doesn't mind Emmalin staying."

"Does Jeremy mind me staying?" Emmalin asked softly, making her presence known.

"What? Why would he? Of course he doesn't mind." Denise insisted, surprised by Emmalin's concern.

"Well it's just he's dealing with his PTSD right now, I just didn't know if he was okay with having company right now."

"Ohh, he doesn't mind. Frank's sort of been smothering him since he left the hospital and I think he'd welcome a distraction."

"Frank's smothering Jeremy?" Claudia Joy asked, amusement evident in her voice. It was funny to image Major Frank Sherwood smothering someone. The thought had all three smiling, before busting into a fit of laughter.

"Like crazy! I haven't seen Frank be so affection with anyone until Jeremy got out of the hospital. I honestly think Jeremy's scared. Frank tried to kiss him the other day for the first time since Jeremy was seven." Denise smiled, running a hand through her dark hair.

"And what did Jeremy do?" Claudia Joy asked, smiling.

"He looked like he was about to have a stroke, pushed Frank off of him and practically ran the other way!" Denise laughed, getting glasses of herbal tea for each of them after stirring a tasty smelling pot that simmered on the stainless steel stove.

"Hey Mom? I'm home." Emmalin heard Jeremy's voice seconds before he entered the living room. She could feel her heart pounding through her whole body, Emmalin wondered if the everyone in the room could hear the wild heartbeats flying from her chest like speeding freight trains.

"Hey sweetheart. How was physical therapy?" Denise smiled fondly as her son, walked into the room. Jeremy was rather graceful she noted, or at least as graceful as a 6'3 Army Private could be. Poise was something the seventeen year old sucked at, Amanda was always the elegant one. Emmalin couldn't walk across a flat, stable, clean surface without crashing into something, even if her life depended on it.

"Alright, I guess. Hey Mrs. Holden, Emmalin." The solider greeted, his dark brown eyes lingering on Emmalin for just a little too long. Her slender nails dipped between her lips as she began nervously biting them to the nub viciously. Claudia Joy frowned and smacked the seventeen year old's hand down.

"Emmalin Jane, how many times do I have to tell you not to bite your nails? It's an awful habit and you've bitten them to down to the cuticles, sweetheart, they look horrible. I swear I will break you of this if it kills me!" The FRG Leader lectured, examining Emmalin's fingertips.

"Jeremy how about you carry Emmalin's stuff to the guest room? Show her where it is while your up there." Denise suggested, graciously saving Emmalin of another solid two minutes of nail-etiquette lessons courtesy of Claudia Joy.

"That sounds good, I've got to leave anyways. Be on your best behavior Emmalin, I love you. And thanks again Denise. Bye everybody." Claudia Joy smiled, hugging everyone goodbye. Denise walked Claudia Joy out to her car, leaving Emmalin and Jeremy alone.

"Come on, I'll take you to the guest bedroom." He grabbed her heavy bag easily with one hand despite how sore his body must still be, almost as if it weighed nothing. Emmalin nodded, rising from the indigo sofa and following the tall solider up the stairs, down the hall and a little to the left, past the room she knew was his.

"Here you go." Jeremy opened the door, placing her suitcase next to the dresser.

"Thank you." Emmalin replied, running a hand nervously through her long, dark hair and fighting the urge to chew at her nails furiously. She slowly walked over to the bed, the pale lavender bedspread felt soft beneath her as she gently sat on the edge. He casually leaned against the dresser, staring at her.

"You've been avoiding me." He accused, his deep voice didn't sound angry just perplexed. She quickly glanced up, regretting it instantly when her eyes locked with his. Emmalin quickly diverted her gaze to her shoes, a pair of yellow flip-flops that had seen better days. The rubber shoes were worn and had seen better days, but she still refused to toss them out, they were her favorite after all.

"A little." Emmalin whispered, she figured she might as well be honest. The Army Brat's gaze never left her shoes, to scared to look Jeremy in the eyes again.

"Why?" Moving to sit next to her on the edge of the bed. He was close enough for Emmalin to smell; his masculine sandalwood scent that she loved. She wondered briefly what it was? Cologne? Aftershave? Maybe body wash?

"I don't know." Lie. What a big fat lie, but it's not like Emmalin could look at him and say 'I think I might love you and I have this horrible fear of rejection that's making me avoid you like a plague.' Honesty could be damned.

"That's bull." He saw through the lie. He was good at figuring her out, she considered moments to late. The Army Brat's eyes drifted from her sandals to the hem of Jeremy's pants, the faded blue denim flowed loosely around his ankles ending at the edge of his foot. Hmm, he had big feet she noticed but when had Jeremy taken off his shoes? Emmalin was using any distraction in her arsenal, even if the only one available were Jeremy's feet. Good Lord, she really has gone insane.

"I'm scared." Biting her nails again, despite her mother's scolding in the living room. She chewed frantically whenever nervous and it drove her mother insane, Claudia Joy would be extremely frustrated if she was here to see the assault on her fingertips.

"Of me?" He asked calmly, watching the seventeen year old rip apart her nails. He figured nail-biting was something she did when uncomfortable, he reluctantly realized that he was the reason she was in this state of distress. Was she scared of him? That he would hurt her?

"Of what you might say." She corrected. Damn it, she just cut her cuticle. A slow trail of crimson ventured down her finger, coating the nail. The soldier reached for a tissue off the nearby nightstand and grasped her cold hand gently in his warm one.

"About?" Jeremy persisted, wrapping the soft tissue around her wounded finger and applying pressure to stem the blood flow. His warm hand felt feverish against her ice-cold skin, the Private's touch sent shivers down her spine. Did he know that he had this kind of affect on her?

"Me throwing myself on top of you in your hospital bed and practically molesting you while you were doped up on morphine." She whispered, embarrassed to declare it out loud. By now a cherry blush coated her high cheekbones, she could feel her face burning at the force of her blush. He already knew she had feelings for him, did he have to make her suffer? Emmalin almost wished he'd just hurry up and reject her; rip the band-aid off and get the pain over with.

"Doped up is a strong choice of words. It's not like I was on that much, I knew what was happening so nothing was against my will or anything." He laughed softly, he visibly noticed how his words sent her instantly into a relaxed state. Her frame wasn't stone rigid anymore now that she realized he wasn't confronting her negatively. Hurting her feelings definetly weren't his intentions, and now they both knew it.

"Really?" She smiled lightly, knowing that he had sort of just admitted to sharing her more than friendly affections. Even if it was the most nonchalant way possible, Jeremy was still saying he liked her.

"Yeah." Knowing she caught the meaning behind his earlier words.

Even though Emmalin's finger had stopped bleeding, Jeremy hadn't released his soft grip on her hand. Emmalin would bet that if she wanted to she could get away with threading her digits through his.

"I still shouldn't of done that. You were in the hospital, it was bad timing." Emmalin said, lacing their fingers together. She was feeling suddenly braver.

"When would be good timing?" He asked, challenging her. She realized he liked to challenge people, but that was okay because she did too. The Army Brat had been told that stubbornness wasn't her best feature but definetly her most prominent one.

"Neither of us in the hospital, me not crying, you not on morphine." She teased.

"I was thinking you being eighteen would be great timing."

"It would probably help, but I don't think it matters."

"It matters." He said firmly.

"Why?" Emmalin laughed, stroking the back of his hand with her thumb.

"I can't even kiss you until you're eighteen. I'm not always a good guy but I'm nothing like a child molester, Emmalin."

"It's not molestation if I want you to do it." Emmalin smiled, his free hand smoothed the dark, silky hair from her forehead.

"I don't think a judge would agree with that."

"Hmm. Find a female judge. She'd rule in your favor."

"You think so?" Jeremy cocked an eyebrow.

"If I was a judge, I'd rule in your favor."

"Some might call you biased." The nineteen year old teased.

"Only a little." Kissing his cheek boldly.

"Jeremy, Emmalin? Both of you get washed up for dinner! The Major's gonna be home any minute." Denise called up the stairs, interrupting their little moment of flirtation.

"I've gotta change for dinner. See you downstairs." Jeremy released her small hand and exited the room, grinning at the General's daughter as he left.

Emmalin's heart was racing. Even though she knew he wouldn't kiss her and chances were they weren't going to start dating anytime soon, she was still on cloud nine.


	9. Those Posters Are Trashy But I Love You

So far Emmalin Holden's stay with the Sherwood's hadn't been bad, her first afternoon in their home could be considered a success. Mrs. Sherwood's dinner had been excellent, Major Sherwood was friendly, and Jeremy had been fantastic. Around nine, the seventeen year old excused herself to finish her last minute Anatomy homework. After a grueling two hours of awful Anatomy work to finish an upcoming essay, she drifted peacefully to sleep.

At the ungodly hour of four in the morning, the seventeen year old was stirred from her light slumber. Strangled noises roughly hung in the air, disrupting the early morning silence. The brunette briskly peeled back her bedcovers. The cold South Carolina air sent chills on her newly exposed skin, leaving a trail of goosebumps along her body. The thin tank top and cotton sleep shorts she slept in weren't much defense against the frigid air.

Emmalin took soft footsteps across the floor of her temporary room and slowly entered the hallway. The deep, throaty shouts were significantly louder now. The Army Brat pressed her ear to Jeremy's closed bedroom door, the hard wood felt cold and uninviting but the noises only got louder.

She gently pushed the door open, not knowing what lay behind it. Her eyes widened as they rested upon Jeremy's sleeping figure, tossing and turning violently between his sheets. From her place in the doorway she could hear his struggling groans much more clearly, the sight of him in his terrible nighttime slumber made her heart wrench and almost brought tears to her eyes. She was frozen in her spot and she didn't even flinch when she felt Major Sherwood's presence behind her, his trained eyes watching his son carefully.

"Don't get to close. He almost strangled me in his sleep the first time I found him like this. Dr. Burton says you should never wake someone with PTSD, it's dangerous." Frank warned, despite his advice she could tell he desperately wanted Jeremy's nightmare to end.

"Is it like this every night?" She whispered, biting her nails as she watched Jeremy shout in his sleep.

"Almost. He didn't tell anyone, I heard him when I got home from work one day, I don't know if it's always this bad. He won't talk about it." The Major explained, gripping her wrist loosely, "You can go on to bed and I'll make sure Jeremy's okay."

"No!" She said firmly, ripping her wrist from the blonde and slowly stepping closer to Jeremy. Emmalin was careful not to wake him, she had heard horror stories about sleeping soldiers hurting people, but she stood near his bed being sure to stay out of arms distance if he reached out toward her.

The two watched in silence as Jeremy slept, their hearts pounding as he talked in his sleep, softly now instead of his loud rugged shouts. Without warning, Jeremy shot out of his sleep, his eyes instantly alert as he surveyed the two people watching him. A thin sheen of sweat cloaked his body, making the sheets stick to him. His blanket had roughly been kicked away during his sleep.

"Did I wake everyone?" Jeremy asked, his body trembling and his voice unsteady. Emmalin couldn't control her own body as she moved to the bed, her knees resting on the edge, almost touching him but not quite. It was the hospital all over again, something unknown force kept pulling her to him like gravity, and in a small way it was sort of pissing her off. No one said anything as she pulled her self behind him, her long slender legs resting around his frame. She felt all of his muscles tense as she pulled him to her gently, Emmalin couldn't resist the urge to hold him. When she was little she always wanted someone to hold her when she had a nightmare and now the seventeen year old wanted to comfort the soldier.

Her arms wrapped around him from behind, supporting his body between her knees, her hands softly stroking his bare chest. Emmalin murmured softly in his ear, kissing every inch of exposed skin she could reach on his body. She pulled his back to her chest, small hands gripping his clammy skin, rosy lips brushed down his unclothed neck and shoulders. Jeremy was trembling, even though he wasn't crying he was obviously shaken by his awful nightmare, his breath was coming in deep pants.

He roughly pushed her away at first but she would just pull him closer to her, the sweet nothings she whispered into his ear where slowly beginning to comfort him. The nineteen year old had never been a fan of being coddled, he usually didn't like being comforted through his pain, it made him uncomfortable. But nonetheless Jeremy reluctantly relaxed into Emmalin's soft figure, resting in-between her slender legs , feeling the soft fabric of her nightclothes against his bare back, basking in the tender kisses she was giving him. The seventeen year old kissed his cheek warmly, her hands wrapped around him to grip his broad shoulders. Neither of them were aware of the Major's gaze, following them like a trained hawk making sure their cuddling didn't escalate. She comforted him in silence for a few moment. Emmalin slowly whispered against his ear until his trembling stopped. Slender, feminine fingers (with awful nails) stroked the dog tags that hung from his neck.

"Mmm. Jeremy, do you wanna talk about it?" Emmalin whispered softly to the solider, kissing the hallow behind his ear. Her soft lips trailing down his neck and shoulders and her fingers stroked his buzz cut softly. She was pleased to find some very interesting tattoos on his back and quickly began kissing the dark marks.

"No. It was nothing." Jeremy persisted, obviously not wanting to talk about it.

"It was not nothing. You were talking in your sleep, it sounded horrible. Tell me, please." She whispered, pleading with him to talk to her, kissing Jeremy's temple.

"It's nothing anyone should ever tell you about." His voice sounded dead serious, but not cold. The horrible things he had seen, the awful things that replayed in his nightmares were not things an innocent girl like Emmalin Holden should ever know about. The nineteen year old gripped one of her hands tightly, just holding her small hand in his large one calmed him more than he was willing to admit. His rough thumb stroked the back of Emmalin's hand gently. She was nice enough not to say anything but Jeremy knew that Emmalin was aware of how viciously his hands were shaking.

"You don't have to give me any gory details, just talk to me. Let me comfort you." Emmalin kissed the corner of the soldier's mouth, not quite lip kissing but still sending a rush through her body. Suddenly she realized she had never kissed him on the lips before, the thought of their lips brushing gave her stomach butterflies. Sadly though, she realized now was not the right moment for a first kiss.

"It was of Iraq. The nightmares they're always the same couple of ones, I'm back in the Middle East and something goes wrong." He answered bluntly, wanting to close the subject.

"What goes wrong, Jeremy?" She mumbled against his ear, sucking on the tip while her arms wrapped around him even tighter, petite hands tracing his hard earned muscles.

"It depends, sometimes I just see what really did go wrong."

"Your friend?" His father asked, startling the two in bed. Both of their eyes jumped to Frank with the sudden realization that they were being watched.

"Yeah, Rison." He murmured.

"Do they happen every night?" Emmalin questioned, kissing Jeremy's forehead despite being all too aware of the heavy gaze coming from the Major. She pulled Jeremy's deep blue comforter over both of their bodies, more for privacy than warmth since the soldier's skin warmed her to the bone.

"Only the night's I'm sober. I don't want to talk about it." He gripped her hand tighter, his elbows resting across her knees. The Army Brat tenderly suckled on his collar, slowly leaving a dark violet hickey, Emmalin was nervous but Jeremy wasn't telling her to stop. Her experience with the male species was pretty limited, she had never even gone to second base before and now she was cozying up to a PTSD-diagnosed soldier. God, what would her father say? Hell, what **was** Jeremy's father going to say?

"Your chest looks better." Changing the subject before there was time for any awkward silence to fall across the room.

"I just got the stitches out." Jeremy's voice sounded grateful, he was glad she wasn't going to push him. His nightmares where not something he wanted to discuss, especially not with his father present.

"And the bruises are fading. They'll be gone soon." Her free hand drifted from it's place on his shoulder, to gently caress the dark marks, they had faded from purple and black into a sickly yellow. While Private Sherwood's chest still looked cringe-worthy it was a great improvement from when she had seen it in the hospital three weeks ago. Though he was pretty messed up from the gun wound and bruises, and the bullet removal/rib repair surgery, Emmalin couldn't help but find the soldier's tanned, muscular chest to be otherwise attractive.

"Yeah." He said, Emmalin's index finger went to trace the angry red scars on his chest, but the nineteen year old gently pulled her hand away, "Not yet."

"Does it hurt?" She trailed kisses on the nape of his neck, brushing the fine hairs there.

"Sometimes." Gripping both of her hands now.

"Sorry to interrupt but we've got to get ready to see Dr. Burton, you both need to shower and Emmalin's gotta go to school." Major Sherwood announced, declaring the time. It was six in the morning now, Emmalin was shocked that she and Jeremy had been like this for two hours.

"Yeah." Jeremy released Emmalin's hands and pulled himself free of the covers. He slide off of the mattress and stood next to his father, still clad in his boxers. Emmalin followed suit, tugging her now heavily-wrinkled sleep shorts and tank top back into a semi-respectable state when she stood.

"You wanna shower first?" Jeremy offered, his hand reaching out to brush through the ends of her messy long hair.

"If you don't mind?" She questioned.

"No. Just try and save me some hot water."

"No promises…and Jeremy, the girl posters on the wall need to leave. They're tacky." She smiled, leaving the room to shower before he changed his mind. She closed his bedroom door on her way out, giving the father and son privacy.

"So… you're still not dating?" Frank asked casually.

"No." The nineteen year old insisted, knowing his father wasn't going to drop the subject.

"You're sure? Cause that was borderline intimate."

"There wasn't any sexual intent, Dad."

"I know but intimacy isn't limited to sex." The Major corrected.

"Well she's seventeen so there's no intimacy here. I didn't even kiss her."

"Yeah well her hands certainly did travel. Honestly I thought your mother and I raised you better than that, could've sworn I taught you to wait till at least the third date before you let a girl feel you up." Frank teased.

"Ha ha ha. Very funny, Dad." His voice sarcastic now, knowing the last thing his father would approve of is a relationship with **another** of the Post Commander's daughters.

"And I like the bikini girl posters, that and the Playboys in the closet." The Major teased, the lack of seriousness was very uncharacteristic of him.

"You've gone through my closet recently?" Jeremy asked chuckling.

"I was looking for my Playboys, I've hidden them from your mother so well that I've also hidden them from myself."

"In the attic, the box labeled 'Christmas Lights', Dad."

"You gone through my attic recently?" He mocked, rubbing his son's short hair fondly.

"Well someone's gotta hang the Christmas Lights when you're gone, and it's definetly not gonna be Mom."

"Oh. Now I remember why I hide them there. Hop in the shower after Emmalin, then we'll head off. Emmalin's gotta be at school before 7:30 and we've gotta get to Dr. Burton's."

"Kay." With that his father left him alone in the confines of his room, which till now had never seemed so empty. Sighing and without an actually reason, Jeremy pulled down the posters Emmalin had deemed 'tacky'.


	10. I'm Drunk, And You're My Favorite Hunk

**Disclaimer**: Honestly I swear I meant to put this darn thing up in the previous chapters….I just forgot :'[ So here goes….I do not own Army Wives! Now remember that I do not condone drinking at all, not just underage drinking but all drinking! I feel that alcohol is bad because my own parents have struggled with alcoholism, though thankfully have been sober for many years. I've never tried the stuff but my BETA/BFF begged me to do this chapter for her own entertainment.

**Author's Note**: So anyways thank you for all the reviews! And at LaLaLola's request I'll be using her suggestion in an upcoming chapter :) Woo hoo! I understand that I've updated the chapters incredibly fast, as in ten full chapters in two days, but all of my writing efforts have been worked on for months. Since the season three finale actually and I've just recently been able to update them. Hahaha my laptop and flash drive was left at my home in Moscow and I just got it the other day through airmail!!! Woo hoo! International Mailman Pilot you are my hero! Please Read and Review ;) _LOVE RILEY!_

LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE :)

All night his attention had been diverted from his red plastic cup of straight bourbon to the pretty underage girl's dancing. Not that he should be pointing fingers, since he wasn't twenty-one either, but at least he wasn't seventeen. Him watching her and her equally underage friends dancing wasn't where the night's antics start though, so we should back track a little.

Jeremy Sherwood wasn't exactly a party-goer until recently, until three months ago he'd never even tried alcohol. Sure he went through this brief phase of getting absolutely smashed and picking fights, but he did all his drinking at home then. Now a few of his fellow Army Private's had pulled him into the underage party circuit and it wasn't exactly his prime preference. This was his first time out at a party since his suicide attempt, and he couldn't even see what he ever liked about it. Substance Abuse was supposed to be a sign of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder though, and Dr. Burton said that his now dwindling interest in drinking was an early sign of recovery; a step in the right direction.

But here he was anyways, at a friend's household kegger bash. An old buddy from high school was throwing the giant party, alcohol was easily at his disposal and the place was loaded with girls. A large red cup of straight bourbon rested on the counter of the bar he was sitting at, untouched as he observed the drunken partiers.

Most of the girls there were too slutty for his taste, not that he was looking for a new broad at the moment. Jeremy knew that it would be all to easy to lure anyone of these girls to his bed for the night, but he couldn't give a damn at the moment. Sure, there were a few pretty ones, dressed in way-too-short skirts and way-too-high heels. Their thin little shirts left little to the imagination and he could see young firm breasts peeking out from the collars. Not that the nineteen year old was paying any attention. As far as the female department went, he was already interested in someone else, and she was too much of a good girl to be caught at a raging booze party like this…or so he thought.

Private Sherwood almost had a heart attack when she walked in with a few of her friends. Together they made a group of five teenage girls that were obviously too young to be here but he knew they would be given booze freely anyway. They were nervous and shy, but had gone into the effort of dressing the part. Well maybe not to the super-slut extent of the normal booze seeking party girls, but they had at least worn slightly more revealing clothes than any of them normally would and had probably spent hours on their hair. All five of the seventeen year olds were innocent, clean cut girls. Jeremy would wager money that none of them had been to a party like this before, least of all Emmalin Holden.

Across the sea of drunken people, the brunette spotted him and broke into a wide dimpled smile. Excusing herself from her friends, the General's daughter made her way through the mess of inhabitants, careful not to collide with any of the wasted girls that were dancing promiscuously all over the rather spacious room.

"Jeremy." Emmalin smiled, taking a seat next to the soldier at the bar. They hadn't seen each other since she stayed with his family last week.

"What are you doing here?" He asked, trying not to sound harsh. Even though this was not a place Emmalin should be hanging out, he was secretly ecstatic to see her.

"My friends and I've never been to a kegger before…we've never even had any alcohol and I'm curious." She admitted, blushing. Her hands smoothed the shiny, sequin dress she was wearing, it was the color of spun gold and made her tan skin stand out. It was shorter than any outfit she'd worn out of the house before and hugged her body more than she was used to. She could feel Jeremy's eyes follow the line of her figure and she blushed a deeper crimson.

"Do your parent know you have a dress like that?" He asked raising an eyebrow, knowing that he shouldn't be checking a minor out, but he couldn't help it. Jeremy always thought she looked beautiful, Emmalin was a beautiful girl and this new revealing dress did her excellent body justice, the strapless number fitted her body like a glove.

"It's my friend's, my parents are going to be home late tonight. Do you like it?" Emmalin teased. The Army Brat had missed him, she had seen him less than seven days ago but her mind was always focusing on the soldier. She didn't tell him earlier, but part of the reason she had selected this party to experiment with was because she was told he might be here. Her friend Heather had found out from her older brother that this big party would attract all the underage Army Private's because they wouldn't get carded.

"I'd like it better if I was the only one who got to see you in it, instead of a room full of drunken guys." Jeremy admitted, he could feel the other guy's in the room staring at the youngest Holden. Though he doubted any of them recognized her as Major General Michael Holden's daughter. Emmalin and her friends would probably be fighting guys of with baseball bats tonight, and the thought almost sickened him. These minors where fresh meat and would be hit on all night.

"Jealous?" Emmalin laughed. Her laugh was sweet and melodious, he couldn't get enough of it.

"No." Jeremy answered, truth be told he wasn't jealous, just a little territorial. Even though Emmalin wasn't his girlfriend or anything. She was only seventeen, and he had eight months in counting before he was even allowed to kiss her without the punishment of child molestation hanging over his head.

"If I saw you with one of those sluts, I'd be jealous." She admitted, biting her lip, she slowly reached for his hand. Yeah, he couldn't touch her yet, but she definitely could touch him.

"Well lucky for you, I'm not interested in any of them." He chuckled, not pulling his hand away as she laced their fingers together.

"Lucky for me." She smoothed her bangs from her eyes. Emmalin had spent hours with her friends curling her hair into perfect ringlets, all for the prospect of looking nice incase she ran into Jeremy.

"You planning on getting smashed tonight?" The soldier asked, his rough hand ran through her long dark hair, carefully pulling a few curls free of her dangly earrings.

"I haven't made up my mind yet?" Emmalin whispered, she loved it when Jeremy touched her hair. She had made sure it looked nice, since she knew he especially liked her hair.

"Your friend's have." He nodded toward two of Emmalin's friends, whom where dancing intoxicated atop a table.

"I don't know if I'll go through with it yet." She admitted, she was too much of a good girl to go through with it she knew. Her parents had spent her whole life teaching her that drinking and drugs were wrong. Emmalin had been more rebellious since her sister's death but she was no wild child. Michael and Claudia Joy currently were at a dinner. As far as they knew their daughter was at a movie; a PG 13 romantic comedy about a couple that visit in-laws for the first time, or at least that's what the newspaper review said the movie was about.

"If you start drinking. Promise me that you won't get in the car with your thrashed friends… And if some jackass tries anything with you, you'll tell me right?" The nineteen year old knew that if Emmalin got wasted then chances where one of the perverts here wouldn't hesitate to take advantage of her.

"Jealous?" Emmalin teased, leaning forward to kiss Jeremy's cheek softly. Mmhhh, she had missed him. Private Sherwood had never kissed or touched her, but Emmalin often displayed affection towards him.

"Yeah." Jeremy admitted, they both knew how the other felt but a relationship wasn't possible at the moment. Jeremy thought he was anything but Emmalin's Prince Charming; he had PTSD issues to work out, their parents wouldn't approve, he dated her sister.

"I promise." She smiled.

"If you need me to I'll drive you home, 'kay?" Jeremy explained, Emmalin getting in the car with one of those girls wasn't a good idea and he didn't mind taking her home. He hadn't even sipped his drink yet and wouldn't have any problems getting her home safe.

"Kay." Was it wrong that she was now secretly hoping her friends were incapable of driving?

"Emmalin! Stop flirting with your friend and have fun with us!" A tall blonde in a sparkly purple dress slurred, making the Army Brat blush again.

"See you later, maybe?" Emmalin suggested, receiving a nod in return.

His dark eyes watched as she and her friends explored the party. They mostly danced, Emmalin couldn't be described as graceful despite being sober, but she was a sexy little dancer. Her hips shook as she twirled gently with a red-headed friend, now they were the only two not smashed. They moved and danced, clearly amused as the loud music pounded.

His buddy, Cooper, laughed as he stumbled back to the bar, a short blonde bimbo in tow. Cooper followed his gaze and found the two seventeen year olds dancing.

"You're not thinking of robbing the cradle, right man? I saw you talking to that cute one when they first showed up. You know her, Jere?" Cooper asked, clearly tipsy but not quite drunken enough for his words to slur.

"Yeah. She's not your type." Knowing that Cooper was checking her out.

"Oh. But she's your type, right buddy?" Laughed Cooper,

"She too young." Jeremy insisted.

"She's not gonna be that way forever." Cooper corrected, though Jeremy knew he had a good point. After all, Emmalin wasn't going to be seventeen forever, hell she would be eighteen in less than a year.

"Her dad's my boss." Private Sherwood crossed his arms. He decided it would be best not to specify exactly who Emmalin's father was.

"He's not gonna live forever." Cooper insisted, feeling his new lady friend up as they conversed. Their other friend, Bradley, joined the group. Bradley like Jeremy hadn't had anything to drink. He was a straight-laced, pre-med student and he'd rather spend his time in the library than at some drunken party.

Jeremy favored Brad's timid companionship to Cooper's wild one. But Brad wasn't a best friend or trusted confidant, Jeremy's best friend Fitch had recently gotten married and was expecting a baby, so parting was lost on him for the moment.

"I dated her sister." Jeremy sighed.

"Ohh. I get it. Yeah she's probably not the girl for you." Cooper grimaced, running his hand over his blonde close-cut hair.

Jeremy watched as Emmalin timidly took her first shot, her nose scrunching at the taste. Now that she was drinking he knew it wouldn't be long before scumbags started hitting on her, it was probably best if he kept an eye on her. As much as Cooper was his friend, he was also the kind of guy that would take advantage of a wasted chick. He was feeling one up at the moment, though Jeremy knew that the girl was clearly seeking Cooper's affection. The rest of the party continued on much in that fashion.

The group of seventeen year old's gathered their things and made their way to the door, well most of them, Emmalin was making her way towards Jeremy.

The blonde from earlier, Heather, called after her, "Emmalin, where are you going? We have to be back before my parents."

"Go on, I've got a ride." Emmalin explained, still stumbling toward the nineteen year old.

"You're sure?" Heather asked, Emmalin nodded back.

He watched her stagger in her heels, and grabbed his keys, crossing the distance to her while praying she didn't fall and crack her head open.

"Still willing to drive me home?" Emmalin smiled, wrapping herself around one of his arms.

"Tequila? You had tequila?" He asked, smelling the Mexican liquor all over her.

"Yeah, that was probably a bad idea."

"You should of started off small, beer or something instead of hard liquor." Damn, her hangover tomorrow was going to be a bitch. He hoped she could stomach it.

"I only had two shots, I swear." Emmalin pouted, clinging to his arm even tighter.

"I know, I'll bet you've got bad alcohol tolerance." He explained, stroking her hair which had gotten slightly messed up from dancing all night, "You probably suck at holding your liquor." He wrapped an arm around her to help keep Emmalin from falling.

"I'm sort of dizzy… I don't think I like drinking." She whispered into his chest, her arms tangling around his waist as they walked.

"That's good, there's no upside to getting drunk. Next thing you know, you'll be starting wasted bar fights in front of your mom." He chuckled, gently pulling her dress into a respectable state again. While she was dancing the top had fallen down, displaying even more creamy skin and the top of her bosom, he could see a black lacy bra peeking out.

Jeremy carefully lifted her slender body into the passenger side of his truck, leaning over her to buckle her safely in. The girl was so light that he could lift her easily, almost too easily. He walked to the driver's side and jumped in, buckling also. Mewing, Emmalin unbuckled and slide into the middle seat, curling into Jeremy. He leaned over and fastened the Army Brat into the seat next to him, his arm wrapping loosely around her waist. Once they started driving, he would have her all to himself for twenty minute before they reached her place.

"Did you even notice my hair?" Emmalin laughed, her voice quiet, her head nestled in the crook of his neck.

"Yeah, you did something different to it." Stroking the soft strands with one hand, the other steering, his eyes never leaving the road.

"Good. I spent two hours curling it. I'd have been really disappointed if I went through all that trouble for you and you didn't even notice, Jeremy." Emmalin whispered, kissing his shoulder.

"You spent two hours on your hair for me? Two hours? Why does it take a girl two hours to do her hair?" He sighed, not comprehending why anyone could spend that much time on their hair.

"Mmmh-huh. And I wore this dress for you. My friend said you'd like it." The brunette slurred. Under normal circumstances she wouldn't ever have told him how much effort she put in for his attention.

"She was right. You planned running into me tonight?" Private Sherwood asked, curious.

"No. Not really, but I hoped you'd be there." Emmalin hiccupped.

"You didn't have to get all dolled up. I wouldn't have been able to stop staring at you either way." He confessed, he felt no anxiety or nervousness since he knew she wouldn't remember in the morning anyway.

"I love the way you smell. What is it? You always smells like sandalwood."

"Aftershave and fabric softener?" He suggested chuckling, Emmalin would never have said such a thing unless completely smashed.

"What did you and Major Sherwood talk about after I went to take my shower?" She kissed his cheek, her arms wrapping loosely around his neck.

"You." Jeremy explained simply.

"What about me?"

"That I'm not dating you."

"You could be…you know, if you wanted to."

"Really now?" Too bad she wasn't legal yet, because the Army Brat was pretty entertaining drunk and definetly less reserved.

"Mmmh. I wish you'd ask me on a date or something."

"Not much point in a date, since I wouldn't even be able to kiss you at the end of it."

"You could too, I'd let…I'd let you kiss me now even. I don't let a lot of guys kiss me. I've never even been felt up before. Did you know you're name's written on the bathroom walls at school?"

"Does it say good things?"

"Yeah. Says you're a good kisser, and then some."

"And then some, what?"

"Did you really fuck the Physics teacher?" Her strong language surprising him.

"No. It was Senorita Campbell, the Spanish teacher."

"Really?" Her eyes wide as she stared at him.

"That's not something I'm proud of."

"Did you get a good grade?"

"Top of the class. But not because we had sex, I still had to study."

"You were Valedictorian, right? And WestPoint wanted you?"

"Yeah. I never wanted to go to WestPoint, Dad never got over me turning them down." He sighed.

"Did he give you that speech about how WestPoint's about honor, and even having them look at your application is a privilege?"

"Something like that, why you've heard it before?" He laughed, stroking her soft, silky hair again.

"WestPoint recruits came to school the other day, and they gave us this huge lecture." Emmalin yawned, snuggling into his side again.

"I liked sports in high school."

"I remember. You were a junior when I started my freshman year. Did you know I'm on the hockey team, Jeremy?"

"Hockey? Why hockey? That's a lesbian sport."

"It is not! I like it…and I like you and you're clearly not a girl."

"Can't argue with that."

"You don't just like me cause I'm Amanda's little sister, do you?" Emmalin slurred, intoxicatingly confessing her biggest fear. That he might be using her as a replacement for her dead sister.

"No. I like you…because you're special. I like you because you're Emmalin." Jeremy's eyes briefly left the road to stare at her wide-eyed. Did she really have to ask that?

"Really? Because people always look at me like I'm supposed to be Amanda…I think my dad wished he had lost me instead of her. Sometimes I can't blame him. Amanda did everything right" She sighed, under normal circumstances she would never have expressed any of this. Emmalin curled deeper into Jeremy's one-armed embrace.

"That's not true. He loves you, I promise he love you." Looking at her awestruck at as they stopped at a red light.

"I know that. But he wishes Amanda were here more than me." The seventeen year old pouted.

Jeremy unbuckled her and pulled her into his arms completely, holding her against his chest firmly.

"No he doesn't. He wishes that he had both of you…And if I had to pick one or the other to…leave, I wouldn't let you go." Jeremy said gently, he couldn't believe she felt that way.

"Didn't you love her? You were dating when she died."

"I loved Amanda but I wasn't ever in love with her." He rubbed the back of his neck, trying to think of a way to explain this to the drunken girl in his lap.

"What's the difference?" Emmalin slurred, her arms wrapping around Jeremy's neck even though his previous words had clearly saddened her.

"Well…your mom; she loves you but she's in love with your father." The soldier explained. Emmalin smiled and kissed his cheek as understanding dawned on her.

"Like a sister, you loved her like I loved her." He nodded, his arms pulling her closer. "You don't like me like a sister, right?" Emmalin whispered, as he gently pulled her placed her back in her seatbelt when the light turned green. They had one more block to go before they reached the Holden household.

"No. You're definetly not a sister to me." He laughed, he felt nothing family-like for the seventeen year old. He smoothed the hair from her forehead soothingly.

He pulled his black, four-door Ford into her driveway, turning off the ignition when they reached the top. The nineteen year old unbuckled and watched as Emmalin undid her seatbelt as well. Jeremy pulled open the driver's door and easily stepped out of the truck, Emmalin slide toward him and he gently lifted her out, knowing she'd fall if she climbed out herself.

"Thank you for taking me home." Emmalin smiled, as she clung to him, their legs carrying them across to the porch.

"Sure thing." His arm wrapped around her to cup her hip, gently supporting her quivering frame. Emmalin roughly pulled out of his grasp as a wave of nausea hit her, spilling her guts out on the lawn. Grimacing, the nineteen year old quickly pulled her hair out of her face and rubbed her back comfortingly. Emmalin let out a strangled cough when she had finished.

"That was awful." She admitted.

"Sounded awful." He admitted, pulling her into his arms and gently rubbing her back. His chin rested atop her head and he could feel her steady breathing into his chest. Jeremy gathered Emmalin in his arms and carried her the rest of the way to the front door.

"Let me unlock it." Emmalin said as he gently placed her down on the 'welcome' mat at the end of the porch. She pulled a set of keys from her bag, selecting a silver one to use on the dead bolt. The Army Brat's hands shook too much to unlock the door, he quietly unfastened the lock for her. Emmalin grabbed his hand, gesturing that she wanted the nineteen year old to come in.

"You need me to carry you up the stairs?" Private Sherwood asked, as he watched the seventeen toss her shimmery shoes on the floor and throw her bag down on the couch.

"Mmmh-huh." Emmalin smiled, standing much steadier now that she wasn't wearing those ridiculously high heels anymore. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her this time, leisurely hauling her to her room. Jeremy turned her door knob, entering her pink and white bedroom, leaving the door open. He gently set her down in the middle of the floor.

"Unzip me." She ordered sweetly, turning around, pulling her long, curly tresses up and out of the way. He just stared at the girl like she had lost her mind.

"I can't." Though he was currently eyeing her figure. Jeremy couldn't even kiss her, unzipping her was out of the question.

"You have to. I can't sleep in this dress, silly. I have to change." Emmalin laughed, still holding her hair up. Reluctantly, he pulled the zipper down, the gold dress falling from her frame as he did so, pooling at the seventeen year old's feet. Emmalin was left in her dark undergarments, he turned around giving the minor her privacy so she could change.

Emmalin's arms wrapped Jeremy, her body resting against his back, "Give me your shirt." She said, smiling when she saw that he had started undoing his dark blue, flannel, long-sleeve, button-down. The soldier pulled it off, revealing a short-sleeve white undershirt; he turned around to help her put the soft shirt on. Jeremy helped Emmalin slip both arms through before buttoning it over her figure. The navy fabric fell mid-way to her thighs and looked surprisingly nice on her.

Jeremy gently lifted Emmalin into the middle of her bed, pulling the covers over her securely. She mewed softly and pulled on his large calloused hand, pouting.

"Stay… At least until I fall asleep." Emmalin requested, her arms wrapped around one of his elbow tightly.

"Just until you fall asleep." The soldier stroked her soft flushed cheek affectionately as he lied down above the covers. One strong arm slithered under the pink bed sheets to wrap around her waist while the other tangled around her back, he knew she wanted to be held by him.

"Thank you." Emmalin whispered against Jeremy's chest. He soothingly rubbed her back in small circles, receiving soft purrs in return.

"It's okay." He murmured into her hair, inhaling the smell of the Army Brat's sweet lilac shampoo.

"I'm glad you only thought of Amanda as a sister. She thought of you as a brother too. She cheated on you before you left for basics, did you know that? I can't remember what his name was or anything." The brunette yawned. Once again, the tequila from earlier was controlling her tongue.

This wasn't exactly any revelation to Jeremy, but who had told Emmalin about that? Did Amanda fill her younger sister in on what happened? He knew Amanda had been with another guy behind his back, and honestly they had even laughed about it before she died. Their relationship had always been awkward, it was like dating a relative. Kissing Amanda felt like kissing his mom, and that wasn't exactly a turn on. When he kissed Emmalin's forehead in the hospital that was anything but awkward.

"His name was Cooper." Jeremy said simply, running her hand through her silky, chocolate tresses.

"Cooper?"

"Yeah. A friend of mine."

"Your friend? Where you mad, Jeremy?"

"No. I wasn't in love with her and he was…still is. He's never really moved on. If I loved her, I would've been pissed off but the relationship just wasn't working for either of us." Despite all that Cooper was still his friend. He couldn't fault the guy for loving Amanda, he didn't have sister-like feelings for her.

"Did you cheat on her? Is Cooper still your friend?"

"No, I was having some problem at home that kept me too busy. And Cooper was at the party earlier."

"My mom told me about those problems."

"And you still wanna be with me?"

"You're better than that. I trust you." Emmalin said simply, yawning against his chest and snuggling deeper into Jeremy's arms.

"Maybe you shouldn't. I'm not exactly Prince Charming."

"You're Prince Charming, just not the one I expected. No long wavy hair and white horse. I wouldn't mind settling for you in camo and combat boots though." She giggled, kissing his cheek.

"Emmalin, you should never settle for less than you deserve." He told her, as her eyes started to flutter closed.

"I'm not." She insisted quietly, struggling to fight off sleep but not quite succeeding as her eyes closed gently. Within moments the girl was sound asleep.

"Sweet dreams, baby." And against his better judgment, Jeremy kissed her forehead softly. Sure he knew he wasn't supposed to but the soldier couldn't quite help himself.

Private Sherwood cautiously untangled himself from the sleeping Army Brat, being extra careful not to wake her. Gently he rolled her from her side onto her stomach, incase she got sick in the middle of her slumber. Quietly he headed for home, eager to get out before her parents could show up. He hoped to see her in the morning.


	11. It's Too Soon For The Blues

**Disclaimer: **I do not own anything! Except two pennies and a bottle of Tums! I'm a unemployed sixteen year old, and the money to buy Army Wives doesn't grow on trees! Hahaha well my mommy used to tell me when I was five that I was her little princess but turns out that's not tax deductible :'(

**Author's Note: **Yay! A follow up chapter! Good news, LaLaLola ,my lovely reviewer, will be getting her requested chapter very soon! I hope for lots and lots and lots of reviews here people! Leave me some… please! LOVE RILEY!

LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE

Her head was pounding and her tongue stuck to the dry roof of her mouth, the taste of stale booze and vomit lingered when she breathed. No, she decided, drinking was not fun.

Emmalin rolled off her stomach, instantly regretting it as the wave of nausea that came over her like a hurricane. She waited patiently on her back, holding still and allowing the queasy storm to pass.

Her fingers went to her temples to rub in slow careful circles, in a failed attempt to soothe her agonizing head. Slowly the seventeen year old Army Brat recalled the events from last night, fuzzy images of her with Jeremy Sherwood replayed in her mind.

She looked down to find that she was still wearing his shirt from last night. The dark flannel was loosely draped around her and was messy from sleep, the soft cotton caressed her skin. Tentatively she brought the collar to her nose, smiling when she inhaled his familiar scent.

Noises from the kitchen drifted into her room, the clanking of dishes on the counters and stovetop. Claudia Joy's light humming could be heard through her closed bedroom door. Slowly pulling herself out of bed, Emmalin stumbled to the bathroom, quickly spilling the contents of her stomach. The brunette could vaguely recall throwing up last night with Jeremy. God, that was embarrassing.

After lying on the white tile that lined Emmalin's bathroom floor praying for her stomach to settle, she entered the shower and decided to get ready for her day.

LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE

Jeremy went to answer the front door, as he heard the doorbell. It was 0800, he quickly wondered who would stop by at this time of morning, especially when Major Sherwood wasn't home? His father was pulling an early shift and his mother was on the phone with a friend upstairs.

He quickly pulled the door open, revealing Emmalin Holden. He had to smirk at her choice of oversized sunglasses, she must've been feeling awful. The first hangover's the worst after all.

"Good morning." He smirked, stepping aside so she could enter the house. The petite girl stumbled ungracefully toward the kitchen bar, taking a seat on a stool next to his cup of coffee.

"What's so good about it, Jeremy?" She pulled off her dark sunglasses, displaying red rimmed eyes and dark circles that no amount of makeup could conceal.

"Nice shirt." The nineteen year old commented. She was wearing his shirt from last night. The navy colored plaid button-down he gave her to sleep in. The long sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and a few of the buttons had been left undone at the top. It was notably large on her but he still thought she looked nice.

"Did you want it back?" She fingered the soft cotton, hoping he would tell her to keep it.

"It looks better on you." He went to the far side of the kitchen to get her a Tylenol and strong coffee for her ragging hangover.

"Good, cause I probably wouldn't have handed it over." She smiled, taking the aspirin from him gratefully.

"Your parents find out?" The soldier took the seat next to her, watching her add cream and sugar to her mug of coffee.

"Mmmh. No. I left as soon as I could this morning." She mumbled, sipping her drink.

"Good."

"I'm sorry 'bout last night." Emmalin said, biting her nails as she looked at him. He could see immense guilt shadowing her delicate features.

"Don't worry about it." Private Sherwood assured the seventeen year old, he gently tugged her hand from her mouth to cease her nervous bad habit.

"Thanks for taking care of me. I don't know how I would've gotten home."

"Can't believe you spent two hours on your hair." He sighed, stroking her dark hair tenderly, the strands were still damp from her shower.

"Yeah well, if I recall correctly you admitted to sleeping with your Spanish teacher." Emmalin teased, resting her head on the counter. She hoped that Tylenol kicked in soon.

"Not for two hours." The soldier laughed.

"Where are your parents?" She asked, biting her lip.

"Mom's upstairs, the Major's at work." Jeremy replied, his dark eyes meeting her amber ones.

"Did they ask why you were out so late?"

"Late? I dropped you off around midnight." He smirked.

"I only partied till midnight and my head hurts this bad?"

"That's what happens when a seventeen year old downs some tequila."

"By the way, I'm sorry about some of the things I said last night…and for throwing up." Emmalin fought the urge to bite her nails into oblivion, how could she have been so stupid last night?

"What all do you remember?" Jeremy asked, rubbing his neck.

"Putting my foot in my mouth all night…and you holding my hair back. And then holding me after I practically begged you to stay."

"It's alright." He grinned. The nineteen year old knew that she would never have wanted to talk about all her feelings last night.

"I shouldn't have brought up Amanda, or the bathroom wall. Or my dad. I'm really sorry, Jeremy." God, why did she tell him that she wished it was her sister that was alive instead of herself? How could she bring up Amanda cheating on him?

"We would've needed to talk about it eventually." Jeremy stroked her cheek softly. She realized that he was right, even if her method was wrong.

"Preferably when I wasn't wasted."

"Minor setback." He chuckled, reaching for her hand.

"I know my dad loves me, just so you know."

"I know…you know that…um, you're not an Amanda replacement to me, right?"

"I was a little worried." The brunette whispered softly, her eyes glancing down at her shoes. She couldn't look his in the eyes.

"You shouldn't have been. It never crossed my mind." He said truthfully.

"It crosses everyone's mind, even my parents." She laughed downheartedly, not a normal characteristic of her's.

"They don't want you to be your sister…and neither do I."

"Would you really keep me over her? You said that last night, I think. I might of imagined that part." Looking deep in his chocolate-colored eyes, seeking reassurance.

"No, you didn't imagine that part." His hand tangled through her long locks. She smiled, pleased that he openly cared for her that much.

Emmalin gently slide from her seat, slowly taking his face in her hands, straining on her tippy toes to brush her full rosy lips against his mouth softly. She had never kissed his on the lips before, the feather soft touch left them both feeling breathless even though he didn't return the chaste touch. The soldier caressed her cheek gently after she barely pulled away. He had told her before that he couldn't kiss her, although they both knew he wanted too.

"Why are you wearing Army PT clothes?" She asked, noticing Jeremy's clothing choice. The gray 'ARMY' tee shirt made his muscles stand out, she gently ran her hands down his biceps and chest, feeling the hard cords of muscle contract beneath her fingertips.

"I went back to work today." Jeremy told her, his arms wrapping loosely around her waist, her head resting just below his chin.

"What? It's too soon!" She barely pulled away to stare at him with wide amber eyes.

"Emmalin, I'd have to go back eventually and it's been a month." The nineteen year old said simply, he had never expected this news to upset her so much.

"Exactly it's only been a month!" Emmalin whispered, putting her hand compassionately over his heart, biting her lip. She didn't want him to go back so quickly, it would make her worry like mad.

"It's not like I'm quitting counseling." Private Sherwood assured the Army Brat. His mom didn't take this news very well either. Damn, he hated it when people worried about him. His parents were being extremely paranoid after the suicide attempt, Denise practically went into hyperventilations when her son got a papercut. Jeremy didn't want Emmalin fretting over him too.

"But…" He silenced her with a rough calloused finger to her lips.

"I'll be fine. And work keeps me busy, I've been going crazy here at home for the last month."

"Jeremy, you were telling me about your schedule before Pamela called?" Denise Sherwood entered the kitchen, barging in on the two, "Oh, Emmalin I didn't realize you'd come over." Denise starred a little at the close skin-to-skin contact her son and the seventeen year old had. She'd only really witnessed their intimate encounters once, at the hospital, but her husband had told her that he knew they were closer than they were letting on. He'd mentioned that Jeremy was still saying that they weren't together.

"Hey, Mrs. Sherwood." Emmalin smiled, not pulling away from the nineteen year old. Jeremy raised an eyebrow at her, and in return she only shrugged. If they could cuddle in his bed in front of his father, why couldn't they embrace in front of his mother?

"How was work, anyways? Did you tell Emmalin that you started your first shift today." The dark-haired woman's eyes never left the two, but she wouldn't ask all of her burning questions. If they weren't going to explain, then she wouldn't ask them to.

"It's stupid, and too soon." Emmalin pouted, shaking her head at Jeremy.

"See, Jeremy! Emmalin agrees, it's too soon! His body hasn't even healed yet!" Denise was ecstatic that the Holden shared her opinion on the matter. But her pigheaded nineteen year old son wouldn't agree to take excess time off from work. 'God, Jeremy could be just like Frank sometimes!' The dark-haired woman thought, frustrated.

"You haven't even healed yet? You can't go back to work with a broken rib!" Emmalin gasped at the nineteen year old, roughly tugging the hem of the Private's shirt up, inspecting his chest for herself.

The bruises were almost completely gone, only a few lingered and they looked much less sickly. They would be gone within a week's time. The soldier couldn't resist wincing when the girl's slender digits brushed his broken rib. Feeling his tremble, she tenderly pulled his shirt back down.

"I've got a doctor's clearance." He covered, wishing he could've withheld that wince. Emmalin would worry herself silly that she hurt him.

"That's not good enough." The young Holden shook her head. There was no way that Jeremy was going to be able to convince her of this being a good idea.

"I'm fine." He insisted, smoothing her hair from her forehead.

"No. You want to just get over this, and it takes time, Jeremy. This doesn't just go away over night and you're not waiting long enough. Give yourself a break… Can't the Army wait a little longer?" Her eyes were pleading with him, Emmalin couldn't believe he would even consider returning to work so soon. She clung desperately to his chest, being extra careful not to hurt his rib again.

"No. I only get a month off." He sighed, knowing she wasn't going to drop this.

"They won't…deploy you anytime soon, right?" The seventeen year old asked shakily, her eyes wide. The thought of him fighting overseas almost sent the Army Brat into a panic attack.

"Dad says that they won't send me overseas for at least another six months." He reassured her gently, rubbing her back soothingly to ease the worried expression from her face.

"That's still too soon." She whispered against the soldier's chest, her juicy lips set in a deep pout.

Emmalin was worried but at the moment she was content to snuggle into her "almost boyfriend's" arms. She didn't care if his mother was watching them or not, she gently reached up to kiss his cheek affectionately. Her arms wrapped around the soldier's neck gently, reaching up to brush his lips sweetly.

Denise Sherwood was in shock, looking at her son and her best friend's daughter she was astounded. If the Army Wife hadn't known better she would've assumed they were a young married couple. The idea of Jeremy and Emmalin being that close surprised her.


	12. Hoops Give Me Hope

It was a lazy Sunday afternoon, the kind that's perfect for a well deserved nap. The weather was pleasant in South Carolina today; with blue, cloudless skies and soft breezes that warmed the skin. Emmalin Holden loved days like these and would often go to the local basketball court with a friend or Doctor Burton. Today was one of those days.

Emmalin walked into the fenced in basketball court to be greeted by the African-American psychiatrist. He was already shooting hoops in his usual workout clothes.

"Hey Dr. Burton." Emmalin smiled, she had so much to talk to him about today.

"Hey Emmalin, so how's it going?" He greeted smiling.

"I have so much to tell you." She walked upon the court, trading in her flip flops for her sneakers.

"Good or bad?" He laughed, taking a shot off the faded white backboard and just barely missing.

"Good. I've been spending a lot of time with Jeremy, lately." The seventeen year old smiled at the thought of her crush. She pulled her dark mahogany hair into a messy, quick ponytail before stealing the ball and taking a shot, watching as it touched the rim before sailing through the basket.

"Hmm. So what's going on between you and Private Sherwood?" He question, raising an eyebrow. The middle-aged man thought of the girl as a daughter and didn't necessarily like the idea of her dating an older, PTSD-diagnosed soldier.

"I'm not exactly sure. But I know he has feelings for me too." Emmalin blushed, still accepting the fact that he returned her feelings.

"Is that still a good thing?" He raised a brow, bantering with the seventeen year old as she took a shot.

"Well I think so." Emmalin laughed, guarding the doctor, though not successfully since he was so much taller than her.

"Well would I think so?" He teased, though dead-serious.

"I think you would." The brunette bantered. Jeremy was nothing but good to her so far, and why consider him wrong when he hadn't made a mistake?

"Hmm. Then that's good, tell me more." Stealing the ball and shooting a three-pointer, cheering when he scored. As much as she tried to talk him out of his infamous, chicken-themed victory dance, Roland did it anyways.

"Jeremy would make a great boyfriend, and he wants to date me, I think, but he says he won't kiss me or anything until I turn eighteen." The youngest Holden sighed.

"I've been his counselor for the last month, he just went back to work." The Army Husband brought up.

"I know, it's too soon." Emmalin frowned as they sat at a bench, drinking their bottles of water.

"I don't think it's too soon." He shook his head.

"Are you crazy it's only been a month?" She turned to look at him wide-eyed, shocked that Dr. Burton wouldn't agree with her on this matter.

"Yes, but he's made significant progress and he's ready to go to work. Jeremy and Frank are a lot alike in the sense that they both feel a sense of duty to serve." Roland sighed, trying really hard not to break the confidentiality he had with Private Sherwood.

"They're a lot more alike then just that. But Jeremy would deny it if you asked. What's he talk about in counseling?" Emmalin laughed, knowing he couldn't and wouldn't tell her about Jeremy's sessions.

"You know I can't tell you that. It'd be breaking confidentiality." He laughed, taking another shot from half-court.

"Is he really getting better? You can tell me that right?" She called from the bench.

"Yes. He's really getting better. When Jeremy shot himself, it was him trying to relieve his subconscious of all that guilt." Roland went on to explain how that was an understandable, but fairly untypical technique of guilt relief.

"So by shooting himself, like a dumbass, he was working through his issues?" Emmalin raised a brow. Until now she thought it was the depression that led to the suicide attempt.

"I know it sounds crazy, but yes. His method was absolutely wrong, but it was a coping technique. Kinda how you were mourning Amanda and ran away with Logan."

"I get that. But what if he starts feeling guilty again, he can't shoot himself every time he feels guilty. He still has nightmares." Emmalin asked, her voice and eyes full of melancholy.

"You see, it's my job to give Private Sherwood the proper tools and communication skills to correctly cope if he starts feeling guilty again. Does Jeremy speak to you about his nightmares?"

"Only once or twice, he doesn't like talking about them."

"Tell me about it, Frank and Jeremy are the worst communicators I have seen in all my years as a physician! I have to fight them both for every scrap of personal info they give me! I don't know how Denise puts up with it." Roland exclaimed, in total awe at his Army Wife friend's ability to deal with her husband and son's lack of communication. They were such private people that it took four session just for either of them to tell him anything.

"He and the Major have a sometimes strained relationship, we haven't talked about it but there's sometimes tension between them. Jeremy can be slow to open up."

"Has he opened up to you?"

"Significantly, but not totally." She smiled.

"What do you talk about? Same things we talk about?"

"Sorta. I talked to him about Amanda the other day."

"Really? How did that go?"

"Hmmm. I sorta had a minor breakdown and confessed that I was worried that he only liked me cause I'm Amanda's little sister." She decided that she wouldn't mention her being under the influence of tequila when this breakdown occurred.

"And?" Roland pressed, curious.

"And he assured me that it never crossed his mind to use me as an Amanda replacement. He said that he loved her but he wasn't ever in love with her. I made him clarify that last part cause I didn't quite get it."

"You get it now? There's a big difference. You love your parents, you will be in love with your husband."

"I know." Emmalin assured him, guarding the ball.

"Frank's in therapy with him twice a week."

"Why?"

"Family communication. Jeremy and Denise are close but he and the Major need some work."

"They love each other." Emmalin insisted. She knew they fought, but without a doubt in her mind they loved each other. She remember the way Major Sherwood looked in the hospital ER and when Jeremy was having that nightmare, he cared he just wasn't always good at showing it.

"Of course they do, they just have a hard time talking about their feelings."

"They're coming to dinner Tuesday." Emmalin smiled, bringing up Claudia Joy's closest dinner arrangement. It would be a close function between her parent's friends.

"So are Sarah-Elizabeth and I." He laughed.

"I'm excited. What do you think I should wear?" She gushed, she only had two days to pick out the right outfit. Guys were lucky, they didn't have to spend all the time girls did getting ready. No makeup, hair, and clothing prep. Honestly, it is not a fast process becoming glamorous, it usually takes hours!

"If Sarah-Elizabeth were going on this date, I'd tell her to wear a snowsuit! Less is definetly more!" Roland insisted. He knew what went on in an almost twenty year old's mind!

They finished their game and headed off. Talking to Roland always made Emmalin feel better, no obsessive baking here. She'd see him and the Sherwood's Tuesday at her mother's dinner party.


	13. Three's Good For Me

Major Frank Sherwood rung the doorbell to the Post Commander of Fort Marshall, Major General Michael Holden's home, his wife and son waiting patiently behind him. They had been invited to a formal dinner with their close family friends. Formal attire had been requested for the evening and the Sherwood's cleaned up rather nicely. Frank and Jeremy in their formal dress blues and Denise in a lovely knee-length blue dress.

Moments after the blonde had pressed the button, Claudia Joy Holden answered the door. Wearing a purple dress, she quickly smiled and embraced Denise, happy to see that her best friend could make it.

"Don't you all look nice." The Army Wife smiled, releasing Denise and leading them all inside.

"You look great too, Claudia Joy!" Denise grinned enthusiastically. The three Sherwoods followed Mrs. Holden into the living room where the rest of the 'tribe' was gathered. Jeremy and Frank watched as Denise quickly huddled with them. The Sherwood men kept to themselves, feeling slightly isolated in the room full of Army Spouses. Jeremy's eyes wandered the room hoping to find the youngest Holden, he was more than disappointed when he didn't see her. This was her house, where could she be?

"I would've been just fine at home." The nineteen year old whispered to his father. He could feel the eyes of his mother's friend's on his back and it made him more than slightly uncomfortable. Roxy LeBlanc had just announced she was pregnant, shouldn't people be focusing on her now? Pamela Moran was looking at him not so subtly, but he'd just have to deal with it. Maybe they'd get tired of him by the end of the night.

"You're staying. End of story." The blonde said firmly, not wanting to reminisce over what happened when he was left home alone a month ago. Frank patted his son's shoulder gently.

"I feel like everyone's staring." Private Sherwood admitted, he wasn't used to talking to his father so openly like this. Two months ago he wouldn't of just kept that information to himself.

"Cause they are, boy." Frank advised the nineteen year old, a slight smile on his face. He could see the group of Army Wives…and Corporal LeBlanc, looking at them.

"Great pep talk." Sarcasm dripped from the soldier's voice.

"Well if you were them, wouldn't you stare too?" Frank asked; he was trying to be more sensitive, he really was, but the Major was still getting used to it. The blonde had never been his son's confidante before, as it turns out Jeremy didn't know how to confide and Frank didn't know how to comfort. But they were slowly, very slowly, getting there.

"Probably." He smirked, as Dr. Burton entered. The Sherwood men nodded their heads in greeting. Dr. Burton had his daughter in tow, his wife Lieutenant Colonel Joan Burton was still deployed.

"Okay we can all make our way to the dining room now…wait, where's Emmalin?" Claudia Joy announced, looking around the room. The brunette in question wasn't found.

"Emmalin, hurry it up!" General Michael Holden called up the stairs, he had just finished taking a call in his study. He was getting hungry and didn't feel like waiting another half an hour for his daughter to finish doing her hair.

"Five more minutes!" Emmalin yelled down. The soldier was thankful to hear her voice, finally. He'd rather not be all by himself tonight and her company would make the dinner incredibly better, no matter who was staring at him.

"You said that ten minutes ago!" Claudia Joy sighed, shaking her head.

"Fine, fine! I'll be there in a second, I'm putting my shoes on now!" Emmalin swore, standing at the top of the stairway now. The seventeen year old slowly descended the flight of stairs, taking his breathe away.

Emmalin wore a form-fitting red dress, the slim halter cut top exposing the firm cleavage she normally kept well hidden. The dress ended just above her knees revealing a pair of the sexiest legs the soldier had ever seen. She was wearing light makeup and had spent God knows how long pulling her hair into pretty curls. The last time Jeremy had seen Emmalin get all dolled-up was at that kegger a few days ago and the dress she had been wearing then revealed a lot too, but this dress was the sexiest thing he'd ever seen her in.

"Weren't you just complaining about people staring, boy?" His father teased, bringing Jeremy from his daze. If Jeremy kept staring at Emmalin like that, he was going to burn a hole right through her.

"What?" He asked confusedly, turning to look at the Major.

"Just try not to get drool on your dress blues, boy." Frank laughed, walking into the dining room.

"I wasn't drooling." Jeremy persisted. He turned to see the seventeen year old approaching him. He smirked at her as she reached him.

"You look nice in your dress blues." The Army Brat smiled, gently touching his arm briefly to steady herself. She was anything but graceful in a new pair of heels and was teetering slightly. He was sort of impressed that she'd managed to get down the stairs with out falling.  
"You look amazing." He whispered honestly, glancing down her figure again.

"Really? I wouldn't ever wear something like this, my mom picked it out." She laughed quietly, biting her fingernails. Emmalin was modest, but definetly not shy, and she hated clothes that showed so much of her body.

"I'll keep my opinions to myself till you turn eighteen, jailbait." He glanced around to find that they were now alone, he reached out to affectionately stroke her hair. God, he loved her hair, it was always so soft and silky.

"Cradle robber." The brunette stuck her tongue out teasingly at the nineteen year old. They slowly walked into the dining room, where everyone was too busy with seating arrangements to notice their brief absence.

General Holden was at the head of the table with his wife at his right, Denise and Frank to her right, Trevor LeBlanc next to Frank, Roxy next to Trevor, Pamela Moran next to Roxy, Dr. Roland Burton and Sarah Elizabeth next to her, Jeremy next to Roland, and finally Emmalin in between Jeremy and her father.

After the white China dishes with the banquet meal had been set out, the group loosely grasped hands for a quick prayer, Dr. Burton leading them in thanks. Emmalin gently laced her finger's through Jeremy's, he stroked the back of her hand tenderly under the table cloth.

"Dear Heavenly Father, we gather here tonight to thank you for the many blessings you have given us. There's been a lot of happenings between us recently and we ask for your guidance. Please bless this food to nourish our bodies. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen." Spoke Dr. Burton, everyone following with a union of 'Amen'. The teenager's quietly held hands under the sanctuary of the table cloth, his thumb gently rubbing the back of Emmalin's hand in slow circles. They both were slightly aware that Dr. Burton knew what they were doing, since he arched a brow at both of them. They held hands through the rest of the meal, with Roland being too nice to ruin it for the teenagers.

"I hope God gives all of us enough to eat, because Roxy here's eating for two! Every grocery store in Charleston's in danger!" Joked Pamela, teasing her best friend.

"This baby doesn't know the meaning of the word diet!" Laughed the blonde, rubbing her tiny baby bump as Corporal LeBlanc smiled proudly.

"When I was pregnant with Emmalin I craved everything. It was awful!" Chuckled the hostess as she passed a bread roll to her husband.

"No. What was awful was trying to find her pickled chicken's feet at two in the morning. The woman wouldn't let me back in bed until I found her some. I was sleeping on the couch for almost two weeks!" Chuckled Michael, setting a napkin on his lap.

"That's nothin'! Wait until the baby's born and you both start sleeping in five minute shifts." Frank laughed. "Jeremy would just start screaming in the middle of the night until he was 'bout three months old. I got more sleep in a war zone than I did when he was a baby."

"How do you do it Roland, when Joan's away?" Asked the Corporal, bringing attention to the new father who was gently rocking Sarah Elizabeth to sleep.

"I put in as many hours as I can and when I cant take it anymore I call Denise and Claudia Joy." He laughed, smiling at his friends.

Emmalin smiled at the baby, she loved babies and Sarah Elizabeth was such a cutie. Jeremy watched her coo at the doe-eyed infant, a small smile forming on his lips.

"Then we come over and he passes out from exhaustion." Claudia Joy laughed.

"I hope Trevor doesn't get deployed for a least a year after the baby's born. I don't know if I could handle three kids by myself."

"We'd help." The redhead promised, rubbing her best friend's belly.

"I can't wait for grandkids! Jeremy, I'm expecting at least five grandbabies and I've decided I don't want to be called Granny or Grandma, they should call me Nana! Grandma makes me sound like I'm 70." Denise told her son, receiving an astonished stare from the two Sherwood men.

"Mom, don't you think it's a little soon for baby talk, I'm not even dating right now?" He squeezed Emmalin's hand gently, she smiled secretly at him and squeezed back.

"Listen here boy, you're getting married before any new Sherwood's arrive. You got that?" Frank informed the nineteen year old, glancing between him and Emmalin suggestively.

"Wouldn't dream of it any different." Jeremy promised, clasping Emmalin's hand under the table still.

"I love babies. Emmalin is having ten children." Claudia Joy decided, which came as news to her daughter.

"Ten? You want me to have ten kids?" All the seventeen year old could do was stare wide-eyed at her mother. Ten? Ten kids? Who did she think would be delivering those kids? Emmalin had seen the 'Miracle of Life' filmstrip in Life Science class and she didn't think she wanted to experience that **ten times**.

"Yeah. I can't wait to spend all my time spoiling them rotten." The FRG leader laughed, the bewildered look on her teenager's face was priceless.

"I can't wait to get them all hyped up on caffeine and sugar and then as soon as it starts kicking in, I'm giving them right back to Emmalin." Confessed the two star General.

"Well you will be. For at least a few years." She smiled, good naturedly at her parents. The conversation of children continued as the teenager's managed to discreetly excuse themselves.

Emmalin pulled Jeremy by the arm into a closet, where they could obtain a small moment of privacy. She quietly closed the door behind them and switched on the light panel, illuminating the tiny closet with harsh fluorescent radiance. The walls were lined with shelves and filled with various cleaning and cooking items, the Holdens must have been using it as a storage unit he realized.

The petite brunette reached up to wrap her arms around the soldier's neck, placing a soft kiss against his cheek. Jeremy's arms wrapped around the girl, pulling her flush against his chest. The girl could feel the soldier's muscles through his dress jacket. She kissed down his neck and jaw, giggling. She knew he wouldn't kiss her back but Emmalin still loved their one-sided encounters.

"We are not having ten kids." He whispered, his hot breathe tickling her ear.

"Not five either. One day, a very very long time from now, I might give you three though." The seventeen year old teased standing on her tippy-toes to brush her lips lightly against his.

"Three's good for me." He smiled, glad that they had managed to get away.

"Kiss me." Emmalin pleaded her eyes glancing into his, up close Private Sherwood's eyes had green and gold flecks decorating them.

"I can't for eight more months." He said firmly.

"You can too. I won't tell." The Army Brat promised, her hands gripping his broad shoulders.

"I've kissed you twice already." He admitted, somewhat ashamed of his lack of resistance to her.

"Twice? When?" This was all news to her, she remembered the hospital kiss but Jeremy hadn't touched her since.

"On the forehead in the hospital, and again after you feel asleep the night of the party."

"Those don't count!" Emmalin moped, she wasn't resting until he kissed her.

"They do too." Jeremy chuckled, stroking her hair.

"No! Because I was crying the first time and sleeping the other. And it doesn't count if it's not on the lips." She pouted, her arms wrapping around his neck loosely.

"Come here." The soldier sighed, gently lowering his lips to her forehead, he placed a soft kiss on her temple. A little self-indulgence wasn't always a bad thing, and if she said it didn't count as kissing then technically he wasn't doing anything wrong.

"Still doesn't count, Jeremy." Emmalin smiled regardless of her words. Pulling her dress up slightly, she climbed into his arms, her legs enveloped tightly around his toned hips, the Army Brat trailed kissed across his forehead and cheeks. He gripped her thighs tenderly, supporting her weight so she wouldn't fall.

"You look very handsome in your dress blues, Private." Emmalin laughed, her full juicy lips leaving soft trails on his neck. She stroked his hair fondly, smiling at their close contact. She loved being in his arms.

"Ma'am, I don't date civilians." Jeremy played along with the brunette's little role-play. Hiking her farther up his hips to keep her small frame from falling.

"Mmmh. Would you consider making out with one in a storage closet?" Emmalin teased, her hands fiddling with his white shirt collar. Jeremy gently placed Emmalin's back against the wall, still gripping her legs.

"Ma'am you don't look quite eighteen yet, I wouldn't wanna get Court Marshaled." He whispered quietly, raising a brow, his lips inches from rosy ones. One day Emmalin was going to hurt him for teasing her so ruthlessly…but until then.

"Ohh, I'm most certainly eighteen Private Sherwood. Wouldn't lie to a someone who served my country, would I? And besides, my Dad outranks you." Emmalin laughed, claiming his lips again. She dashed kisses across his forehead and cheeks, the nineteen year old could feel her smiling into the gentle touches.

"Exactly, your Dad outranks me." Jeremy smirked, one hand running through the seventeen year old's chocolate colored locks.

"You don't want the Post Commander's daughter to put in a bad word, do you?" Emmalin laughed, stroking his buzz cut.

"Wouldn't want that all, Miss Holden." Kissing her forehead. God, she needed to turn eighteen already. He didn't know how much longer he could stand not kissing her. Especially when Emmalin wanted him to kiss her so badly. His gaze wandered down to her full pink lips, they looked soft and inviting, colored a light coral to compliment her dress. He'd bet money that her tongue tasted as good as she smelled, like sweet wild lavender in the springtime.

"Then kiss me, please." She kissed his mouth lovingly. All he could think was how sinfully good it felt when their lips brushed.

"No. But I could be pursued to take you out Friday, around seven." Dark brown eyes met light amber ones as he subtly asked her for a first date. They had been seeing each other monogamously for a while now, and he thought it was time he took her out. Emmalin had been more than patient though, he knew she wouldn't mind waiting for a date a little bit longer if he wasn't ready. Things had moved lightening fast in the last month, not just between them but in his counseling as well. His PTSD was far from cured, far from, but he was making progress. He'd been discussing Emmalin with Dr. Burton and they'd reached the conclusion that a date wouldn't be inappropriate.

"Mmmh, you wanna take me out on a date?" She smiled wide, revealing a perfect white smile.

"Never said it was a date." The soldier teased. His words instantly made her smile drop, her eyes blinking showed how shocked she was.

"Is it?" Emmalin looked at him wide-eyed, she'd be more than just slightly disappointed if he said 'no'.

"It's a date." He nodded, laughing, his left hand cupping her head softly, his right reaching across her to keep her steady. He wouldn't want her to fall from his arms and roughly land hit the floor.

"Really? That would make me very happy." Emmalin smiled, genuine happiness shining through her eyes. Full lips trailed across his face before finding his lips again.

"Good. Dinner and a movie sound okay?" He kissed her cheek.

"That sounds nice, Jeremy." She kissed him roughly this time, clearly ecstatic.

The couple turned their heads as they heard the closet door squeak open, reveling Major Sherwood. The blonde examined the two teenagers slowly, taking in the way they were holding each other, his son's faintly wrinkled dress uniform, and Emmalin's now messy hair.

"Sorry to interrupt but we're headin' home, boy." Frank explained, as the two walked from the storage unit.

"Ugh…yeah." Jeremy replied not quite sure what to say after being caught with a seventeen year old by his father. Emmalin gently reached out to smooth the wrinkles from the Private's clothes, she lightly licked her thumb using it to clean the lipstick she had gotten all over Jeremy.

"Smooth her hair, boy. Everyone's gonna know you were goin' at it, if she goes in there lookin like she's had a romp in the hay." Frank told his son, in response he gently straightened Emmalin's hair. Jeremy used his thumb to wipe the General's daughter's lips free of what little remained of her coral lipstick.

"We weren't going at it." Jeremy corrected as Emmalin latched onto one of his arms as they walked through the kitchen, entering the now empty dining room.

"Sure you weren't." Frank grinned sarcastically, though he was certain the girl did most of the kissing. He and Dee always stressed the importance of law obedience, and one of the laws was nothing under eighteen.

The three stepped into the living room, where everyone was gathered except the General (who had another business call to tend to), and Pamela Moran (who had children and an estranged husband to tend to). Denise Sherwood smiled as she gathered her purse and sweater, bidding her friends farewell. Emmalin reluctantly released Jeremy's arm, pouting that he was leaving so soon.

"See you Friday?" The soldier whispered against her ear, she walked him to the porch.

"And maybe before then?" Emmalin smiled, watching their mothers hug

"Maybe." He replied, smoothing her hair from her forehead.

"Thank you for coming, Jeremy." She beamed at him, as they said good bye. Watching his back retreat from her, she roughly swatted his ass when she was sure Claudia Joy wasn't looking. He chuckled and shook his head in response, still following his father to their car.

"Sorry, couldn't help myself." Emmalin called after him, laughing as she turned to re-enter her home once again. Denise smiled and hugged her when the Army Brat opened the front door, leaving in a hurry after her husband and son.

"Still not dating, boy?" Major Sherwood asked after they finished the short car ride home. He looked at his nineteen year old, curiosity getting the best of him.

"I'm taking her out Friday, if you must know." Jeremy told his father. They never used to talk about girls and he wasn't sure what to say or not say, especially where the Post Commander's daughter was concerned.

"I must. Make sure she doesn't wear that lipstick, it's not your color." Frank teased, slugging his son playfully on the shoulder.

"Ha ha ha. You're throwin' stones at a glass house here, old man." Jeremy teased, faintly recalling one Thanksgiving where Nana Sherwood, Frank's elderly mother, caught his parents going at it on the dining room table.

"Be good. She's seventeen and I'm trusting you, boy." Frank said, his tone serious, looking his son in the eyes.

"I haven't even really kissed her yet, you've got nothing to worry about." He assured his father, climbing the stairs to change out of his dress clothes.

"Night, boy." Frank called.

"See you in the morning." Jeremy replied, disappearing into his room.

It had been a long day, they had work and therapy in the morning so all the lights dimmed in the Sherwood household for the night.


	14. Mama Lion Is Not A Cougar

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Army Wives! But it would be awesome if I did ;)

**Author's Note: **Yay! A new chapter! Woo hoo go me! The next chapter's gonna be a follow up, it'll be of the actual date ok :)

LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE&LOVE

Private First Class Jeremy Sherwood nervously rung the Holden's doorbell that Friday night. At this time of year, the sky was always colored a dim indigo in South Carolina during the evenings and tonight was no exception. He was there at seven sharp to pick her up, just like he had promised earlier that week. Emmalin Holden, the girl he had feelings for, the girl who was too young for him, the girl who was currently his date.

Waiting patiently on the 'welcome' mat, he smoothed his lightly faded jeans and gray shirt anxiously. He had told Emmalin to dress strictly casual, no spending two hours on her hair tonight. Looking from the condo's porch down the driveway, he saw that the General was working late and Claudia Joy was parked near the curb. What was he supposed to say to the Army Wife? He was legally too old to be seeing her daughter after all.

Jeremy felt like he had been standing on the deck for days, though he knew it had been less than three minutes. His thoughts were racing and his heart was pounding. It felt as if a little bird were trapped in his ribcage and was trying to break it's way out of his chest. He was going to write that off as heartburn or some other medical issue though and not some emotional thing he didn't want to analysis. A girl had never had this kind of effect on him before, and truth be told it was scaring the hell out of him.

He looked up as he heard the door creak open, revealing Emmalin smiling at him. She looked nice in her blue jeans and tank top, with her long dark hair pulled back by a thick headband. Her soft lips brushed his cheek gently. The Army Private couldn't help but grin at her as the girl tugged him by the hand into her home.

"Mom wants to chat." Emmalin sighed, shaking her head. He could see how sorry she was through her eyes.

"I understand." He really did. If he had a daughter, he certainly wouldn't have let her go out with a guy like himself. A previously suicidal, former player, soldier who was no good for her.

"I don't." Emmalin laughed, leading the soldier into the living room. The Holden house was as clean as always, with it's light taupe walls and soft tan carpeting. Everything in this house was almost too perfect, too in place, in an alarming way. The way the house on 'To Catch A Predator' was always to perfect, if anyone offered him a glass of their infamous lemonade then he was bolting for the door!

"I'm too old for you…and I've never been your parent's favorite guy in the whole world." Jeremy smirked, running a hand over his short buzz cut.

Claudia Joy sat perched on the edge of the couch, her legs crossed neatly. She looked like one of the mother lions from one of those documentaries on the Discovery Channel, the ferocious mama that tears her baby's predator limb from limb. Grimacing he realized that Claudia Joy was the mama… and his ass was dinner.

"Sit down." Mrs. Holden ordered, using her 'don't-fuck-with-me' voice. Just from her tone, the teenagers knew she meant business. The normally sweet and pleasant FRG leader was glaring daggers at the soldier. Yeah, mama lion with rabies seemed like a pretty good analogy right about now.

Emmalin and Jeremy took seats on the sofa opposite the Army Wife, waiting quietly for Claudia Joy to say something. Emmalin loosely grabbed the nineteen year old's hand to comfort him. The seventeen year old was feeling more than a little guilty that he was going to be subjected to the worst side of her mother. No, she thought, victimized is a better word for it. Good thing Jeremy was already in counseling, he'd have a place to go after the night's assaults.

"Emmalin you should go change, you're going to the movies and you'll get cold if you wear that shirt." The woman suggest, smiling. She was clearly looking to get ride of the girl so that she could have some alone time with the soldier.

"Umm…" Emmalin hesitated, not wanting to leave her date prey.

"She's right. The movies are always cold." Jeremy insisted, giving Emmalin the okay. He'd have to go toe to toe with Claudia Joy sooner or later, might as well get it over with while the General was gone. He gently unthreaded their hands, instantly regretting his decision to let her go. Reluctantly, she walked up the stairs. Almost expecting wild safari noises to follow her.

The Army Wife watched Emmalin carefully until she disappeared at the top of the staircase before she turned to scowl at Jeremy. The nineteen year old's hands were sweating bucketsful, he internally sighed and wiped them on his blue jeans. Emmalin's mother looked like she was going to leap from the couch and beat the snot out of him. He wasn't scarred of her by any means, he was twice her size after all, but she made him nervous as hell.

"We need to talk." She clasped her hands tightly in her lap. Lines of tension could be seen through her shoulder and stiff silhouette, the Army Wife was usually so relaxed. This could not be the same woman who was his mother's best friend, that woman didn't look like she was going to deck him. But this one sure did.

"Okay." Jeremy said. The woman was right after all, they did have to talk. He'd take what ever she threw at him like a man and get it over with.

"I don't know what your intentions are but I swear if you hurt my daughter in any kind of way, so help me God, I'll kill you. I will make you wish you'd never left Iraq." Claudia Joy jumped right on the wagon. If looks could kill, then Private Sherwood would be six feet under. If he was a bit more of a masochist, he would've provoked her. Thank God, he wasn't currently suicidal, although death courtesy over-protective Army Wife was surely an interesting way to go.

"I'm not going to hurt her." The Army Man insisted. He wasn't going to back down, not to Emmalin's mother. Jeremy smoothed his shirt restlessly, fidgeting under Claudia Joy's harsh gaze. He hated when people stared at him, especially recently.

"You dated my other daughter, and now you want to date Emmalin? What are your motives?" Claudia Joy's questions flowed, hitting him like a hailstorm. Neither of them flinching, it was a staring contest of doom but no one was willing to back down.

"I did. I do. I don't have any?" He'd fire them right back at her. Though the nineteen year old couldn't help but glance periodically at the stairs, praying for Emmalin to hurry up. Seriously, how long did it take to change a shirt?

"I hope you don't think you're getting laid tonight. Emmalin is a virgin and she's not going to put out for you just because you're a pretty boy. I swear if you touch my daughter…" Mrs. Holden growled, her teeth lightly grinding. She was being aggressive just as Michael had insisted when they discussed this little pre-date interview earlier that morning.

"I wont, I promise. I haven't even kissed her yet…and I'm not a pretty boy." That pretty boy comment struck a nerve with him. Was she calling him a sissy? He gritted his teeth in annoyance.

"Fine…you're a pretty man. I'm not insulting you, you really are rather pretty…in the manly sort of way." CJ laughed, surprised that out of all the things she said that was the only thing that bothered the Army Private. She couldn't help but smile.

"Umm…thank you?" Jeremy wasn't quite sure how to respond to that comment. No man likes being called pretty, or at least he didn't. It made him sound girly.

"Why are you taking Emmalin out?" The woman asked, much friendlier now.

"I think Emmalin's the one taking me out. She deserves better and I know I'm no good for her. I already know, so you don't have to tell me." He'd set her straight right now.

"I'm not sure about that. Don't get me wrong, I don't think anyone would ever be good enough for my daughter but for some reason I sort of trust you." Claudia Joy smiled, looking more like the woman who frequented his home. Had some weird switch in her mind been turned off, did she just have some killer PMS moment? He was confused.

"Really? You call people you trust 'pretty boy' and threaten to kill them?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow at the woman sitting across from him. The normal politeness he normally reserved for the Military Wife was gone, manners could be damned. She had called done everything but physically assault him, and then she wanted to call him a pretty boy? Jeremy decided he sure as hell wouldn't wave a white flag to this woman.

"No, honey, you're just special. Michael made me promise to put the fear of God in you, too bad I'm not very good at it. I'm too friendly, if he asks you about this little chat, you tell him I played hard ball." Claudia Joy's gaze never wavered, she was sizing the Army Private up, not menacing though but analyzing. Emmalin found some redeeming quality in him, and if Claudia Joy squinted hard enough she could find a glimmer of hope too. She realized that despite his past mistake, he was morally straight laced and that thoroughly pleased her. Michael would be really disappointed if he found out his wife was so easy on the Army Private, she'd barely been able to keep a straight face through all her threats.

"I'm back, ready to go?" Emmalin smiled, now wearing a blue sequin blouse. The Army Brat glanced carefully between her mother and "almost boyfriend". She approached the couch and laced her finger's through the soldiers, motioning for him to get up. Emmalin could feel her mother's eyes on their entwined digits but she wouldn't let go. Jeremy stood up, towering over the petite Holden by almost a foot. She smiled at him kindly, genuinely sorry that he had to deal with her mother all by himself. Without a doubt in her mind, she knew her father had given her mother date questions to try out on the poor soldier.

"Here sweetie, I'll walk you to the door." Claudia Joy smiled, rising from the couch.

"Bye Mom." Emmalin said pulling the door open, Jeremy waiting patiently behind her. Claudia Joy pulled her daughter into a quick embrace.

"Call me if you need anything. I love you." She whispered against Emmalin's ear, too softly for Private Sherwood to hear. Emmalin nodded.

"Have fun!" Claudia Joy beamed, waving farewell before disappearing into the condo. She'd always had a tiny soft spot for her best friend's son, he was charming somehow. The Army Wife couldn't wait to tell Denise about her talk with Jeremy, his mother would get more than a few laughs out of it.

Emmalin smiled at Jeremy, biting her lip happily. She reached up on her tippy toes to brush her full rosy lips lightly against his, the soldier didn't kiss back as usual.

"Was it awful?" She laughed as they walked to his truck, his arm wrapped around her shoulder.

"Well she didn't deck me. Called me a pretty boy though." He smirked, pulling the passenger door open for her.

"A pretty boy?" Emmalin giggled, sliding into the middle seat of the truck, buckling in. She could understand where her mother was coming from though. Jeremy had lovely features; dark eye lashes, pretty eyes and high cheekbones. She'd always thought of him as handsome or sexy but pretty was an adjective he could easily pull off too.

"She later changed it to 'pretty man'." He smirked, buckling in, his arm sliding around her. Emmalin curled into his chest as he pulled out from the curb.

"Well…you are kinda pretty. Err…in the manly way. Your mom's very pretty and you sorta get it from her." Pulling him by the collar of his gray t-shirt, she placed a trail of kisses across his cheek and forehead. He could feel her smiling against his skin gently, making him smile. Emmalin was contagious that way.

"Save it for the movie." He chuckled, stroking her hair. His eyes never left the illuminated stretch of road infront of him. He wasn't sure what would happen when he took her home, especially since General Holden would be back by then, but he figured she'd be worth the trouble.


	15. 15 Bucks For A Kiss In The Dark

Neither one of them was able to truly focus on the now beginning movie, glancing at each other was far more interesting than the long list of opening credits that scrolled across the large silver screen. Emmalin bit her lip as she watched Jeremy shrug of his thin dark blue jacket. The soldier turned his head to glance at her, catching her staring. The seventeen year old looked away, embarrassed to be caught in the act of watching him.

She could feel the warmth radiating from his body, like warm fluent waves of sunshine. The brunette resisted the desire to tear up the armrest separating them and throw herself against that warm body, a body that she knew was fantastically muscled and perfect for cuddling. The Army Brat promised her mother she would behave, Claudia Joy had insisted that Emmalin not do anything she wouldn't do herself. But would her mother really frown upon a small bout of purely innocent cuddling? It wasn't like she was going to let him hit second or anything, so she decided that cuddling on a first date was perfectly lady-like.

Emmalin gently lifted the hard, solid armrest regaining the Army Private's attention in the process. Gingerly she scooted closer to that lavish body heat of his. The seventeen year old gently snuggled into his chest, her legs resting neatly across her seat.

"I'm not much of a cuddler, baby. Guess I could make an exception for you though." Jeremy's deep voice whispered against the shell of her ear, he gently pulled her into his lap wrapping his arms securely around her waist. The darkness of the movie theatre shrouding the couple from any eyes that might be prying, but the light from the screen made them risible to each other.

"Mmmh. Baby?" Emmalin giggled softly, trying not to disrupt the other movie goers. She sweetly kissed his cheek. Her hands running up his chest, feeling the familiar muscles move beneath her fingertips. She loved the feeling of his arms around her, protecting her.

"You don't like it?" Jeremy asked, stroking her rose-colored cheek.

"I do, you've just never called me baby before is all." Emmalin smiled, leaving a soft trail of kisses down Private Sherwood's neck. His arms tightened around her, pulling her soft body flush against his chest. She felt so safe in his arms, neither uncomfortable with this new closeness.

"You're freezing, baby." He whispered, pulling his discarded jacket loosely over the girl's shoulders. His hands tangled themselves through her chocolate tresses.

"Warm me up, Jeremy." Her soft lips brushing his lovingly. Emmalin deeply inhaled his masculine sandalwood smell, he was intoxicating. The Army Brat had never done drugs but she imagined it must be something like this, a deep never ceasing need.

"Take the hair thing off." The nineteen year old smirked, resisting the heavy urge for lip contact. He stroked her cheek softly. Emmalin assumed the 'hair thing' he was referring to was her headband, she quietly slide it off, releasing her bangs. His hand immediately went up to tangle in the shiny hair, now free of the plastic holder.

"Kiss me. I know you want to. Who care's how old I am?" Her full rosy lips claimed his again.

"What would your mom say?" He chuckled, kissing her smooth forehead. He buried himself in her hair, breathing in her sweet lavender scent. He gently laid a kiss across her cheek. She told him kissing her on the lips didn't count, he personally thought they did but he was willing to follow her train of thinking on this matter.

"That both of your hands better stay where she can see them, Private." Emmalin laughed, giving the best impersonation of her mother that she could. She wished he'd kiss her. None of her past boyfriend's hesitated to kiss her like this, she hesitated to let them though. All the times her ex-boyfriends tried to touch her had been uncomfortable and sometimes just downright unpleasant. Jeremy didn't make her uncomfortable, all of his touches left scorching trails of sparks on her, like lightening dancing lightly across the Army Brat's skin. The light feel of his lips against her cheek or forehead felt like fiery embers, but in a pleasant way, leaving her breathless.

"And she'd let me kiss her under age daughter?" He teased.

"If it made her under age daughter really happy."

"And the General?"

"Well…we…we just won't tell him. Mom and I would just 'forget' to mention that part."

"How many guys have you kissed, baby?" He asked, dark brown eyes with green and gold flecks looked down into her amber ones. She seemed so innocent, he figured that all her experience with the opposite sex was pretty limited. It honestly didn't matter to him who Emmalin had kissed in the past but he wondered why she wasn't all that experienced, she was a pretty girl and boys generally liked to kiss pretty girls.

"Umm…promise to not poke fun? And you have tell me how many girls you've kissed?" Emmalin blushed, knowing that he'd kissed at least three times as many people as she had. She hated to come off as the little innocent goody-too shoes.

"Promise…and I have no idea, I stopped counting." He chuckled, pulling her head to rest under his chin.

Biting her lip and blushing she said, "Two…who was your first." She wrapped her arms around his neck, stroking his dark buzz cut gently with one dainty hand.

"Two? I was in kindergarten and her name was Maria, she didn't speak English but she liked boys a lot." Jeremy said, kissing the brunette's forehead.

"Kindergarten?" Emmalin giggled, kissing up the soldier's jaw. She began to leave a dark hickey against the Army Private's skin, she'd left one on him before and it was her first. The Army Brat knew he liked her little touches. Jeremy didn't mind her exploring him, he was slow to taking all the emotional affection she offered but he now accepted that as much as the physical. Emmalin had been a great comfort to him after his suicide attempt, an emotional companion. She frequently soothed him, and he'd never had that kind of relationship with anyone before, Jeremy normally hated being comforted. It made him feel coddled and babied, something he surely inherited from his father.

"Yeah. You've had more than two boyfriends right? And you didn't let them kiss you?" He kissed her forehead. The soldier quickly relaxed when her arms wrapped around his torso, easing all tension in his body.

"Mmm-huh. I didn't like them touching me. I didn't like the two who kissed me touching me either. It made me uncomfortable." Emmalin admitted, stroking Jeremy's hair softly, kissing his forehead. It had never occurred to either before now but it dawned on them that to all onlookers they probably seemed extremely intimate. And in a way they sort of were.

"And I don't make you uncomfortable, baby?" Grinning he twirled dark strands around his finger gently.

"No. You make me feel safe. I like how strong you are." Emmalin blushed, burying herself deeper into Jeremy's chest, gripping his broad shoulders.

"Your last boyfriend was a soldier, he must've been strong too." Private Sherwood raised a brow at her confession, smoothing the hair from her forehead.

"Logan was an asshole. And I never had romantic feelings for him, there just wasn't sparks." She frowned, Logan was only a tool to forget Jeremy way back when. She didn't think she could be with her dead sister's ex-boyfriend.

"Why run away with him, baby?" He kissed her softly on the cheek.

"I didn't want to move. I never liked him that way though. He was my penpal and friend, but he just…wasn't special to me. I loved him but I wasn't in love with him." Emmalin quoted the words Jeremy had previously used to describe her sister. All Logan Atwater would ever hope to be to her was a dear friend.

"You almost married him."

"He threatened to leave me on the side of the road. And then he left me stranded miles from home in a hotel room in Dillon, once he realized marrying me would ruin his military career. I never would've gone through with it… I liked you before him…and during him." She reluctantly disclosed the last part, not sure if that was the type of thing she should be telling the object of her affection.

"You liked me then? Why didn't you ever say anything?" He chuckled, surprised by her lighthearted confession. She hinted before that she'd had feeling for him for a long time, but he hadn't realized it had been that long.

"You give me sparks. And what was I supposed to say? I broke down at your bedside if you recall and that was sorta my giant profound announcement."

"And you'd let me kiss you?"

"I'd even let you tongue me."

"Mmmh. Baby likes tongue, huh?" Jeremy teased, hiking his jacket tighter around Emmalin.

"Baby would like your tongue. Didn't like Logan's all that much." Emmalin laughed, kissing the corner of his mouth.

"I'm not supposed to kiss you." He traced her full bottom lip with his rough, calloused thumb.

"It's just a kiss, it's not like you're stealing my virginity or anything." Emmalin left another purple hickey on the soldier's collar. She was liking all the newfound touches he had allowed her in the month they'd been seeing each other.

"Kissing is sex for the lips."

"Then what's frenching?"

"Really naughty tongue sex."

"You make it sound dirty."

"I would almost be taking your tongue's virginity, and Mama Holden wouldn't like that."

"She'd understand. She let me go out with you, she can't just expect you not to kiss me."

"I've never waited so long to kiss a girlfriend, or a girl in general…it's kinda driving me insane." He'd never specified their relationship before, Jeremy and Emmalin had been seeing each other monogamously but had never declared anything. She knew him well enough to know that he was basically asking her to go to be his girlfriend.

"Oh, I'm your girlfriend now, huh? Then kiss me."

"You wanna go steady? I guess I could kiss then. I'm old enough to go to war and old enough to (illegally) drink, so I really can't be faulted for kissing my girlfriend." She nodded eagerly, pleased that he was finally asking her.

Jeremy leaned in close to Emmalin and left a feather soft kiss against her smooth, full lips, lingering only seconds before pulling away. It was the first time he had ever really kissed the Army Brat, and it was as amazing as they both had always assumed it would be. He was sick of fighting the urge to kiss her, so he caved. He was learning that a little self-indulgence was okay, emotionally and physically. Kissing had never been so breathtaking before, no girl had ever had this kind of toll on him.

"There. That was technically molesting you." smirked Jeremy.

"Mmm. Assault me some more." Emmalin replied, her lips inches from his. She leaned in and kissed him, pleased when she felt him respond. Gently she felt his tongue trace her bottom lip, asking for entrance to her wet cavern. The seventeen year old quickly obliged, feeling his smooth tongue dance with hers. She was still relatively new to kissing but he gently guided her with his tongue, swiftly showing her the ropes to their fervent kissing. Jeremy's warm tongue tangled with her's, their kiss getting more heated until he pulled away ,both of them in need of air.

"I'm sick of pushing you away. Not kissing you was getting too hard." The soldier whispered inches away from Emmalin's now faintly bruised lips.

"You're a great kisser. And you can do some really, really fun things with that tongue." Emmalin smiled, her hand cupping his cheek. Happiness evident through her eyes.

"Never had a girl walk away unhappy…yet."

"Best kiss I've ever had, but don't let that go to your head, because before you, I'd never had anything too good."

The lights of the movie theatre flickered on, illuminating the previously dark room. The teens looked up at the screen to see the end credits, they had missed the whole movie. Emmalin slid her arms into the sleeves of Jeremy's jacket as they stood, tugging the zipper up to compensate for the now missing body heat she had been absorbing from the soldier.

"I just spent fifteen buck to kiss you in a dark room." He chuckled, gripping her hand as they walked down illuminated hall, out of the theatre.

"I still think it was pretty worth it. Now we can go back and kiss in your in dark truck." Emmalin giggled, kissing his jaw.

Emmalin tugged him by the elbow into the parking lot, where she was determined to finish their long-awaited make-out session. Jeremy, ever the gentleman, was more than willing to oblige.


	16. Baby Daddy For A Day

The piercing shriek echoed through the tan walls of the Holden household. Clearing the normally calm atmosphere of all it's usual silence.  
"Can you try to make the damn thing stop crying?" Private Jeremy Sherwood sighed, watching his girlfriend of three weeks gently rock the shrill-sounding mass, trying to get it to hush. She paced the Holden family living room, doing anything that might get the thing to stop crying. Emmalin was used to babysitting; children, toddlers and babies alike all adored her. It was a well known fact that Emmalin Holden was great with kids, so the blanketed mass in her arms must've been pure evil.  
"I've been trying to make the baby stop" Emmalin Holden sighed, she was exhausted. The seventeen year old hadn't slept all night, the screeching doll had denied her even a moments rest. Yep, she decided that there was no way in hell her mother was ever going to be able to talk her into having ten children. This had been the longest thirty-six hours of her life so far...and yes she had been counting.  
"Why am I here, again?" The Army Private questioned, raising a brow at his clearly exhausted girlfriend. Thankfully the screeching bundle of baby-shaped plastic had ceased. Emmalin was rocking the now quite doll on the couch, she gently leaned into Jeremy's warm body.  
"Because you're the Baby Daddy." Emmalin laughed, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. Jeremy was her boyfriend and he was going to have suffer the pain of temporary motherhood right along with her. The poor Army Brat had the worst SexEd teacher on the planet....or the best, depending on how you looked at it.  
"I don't remember signing up for this, baby."  
"You're my boyfriend and you probably wouldn't have liked it all that much if I put anyone else's name on the birth certificate. Besides, I didn't sign up. Everyone who failed the test in SexEd had to take home a baby for the weekend." The brunette teased, gently almost frightenedly she placed the small horrid plastic infant back in it's carrier. She sighed and visibly relaxed when after a moment, no sound erupted from the doll.  
"SexEd? Your doing this for SexEd? What'd you fail?"  
"Ermm...the condom diagram test... I couldn't get the condom on the freakin' banana!" Emmalin blushed, her cheeks burning. Honestly it wasn't her fault, the provided banana was funny shaped and it ripped the rubber; she hadn't even been allowed a do-over!  
Jeremy's head rested between his hands as violent fits of laughter over took his whole body. At first he'd made a decent effort to hide his amusement but soon began shaking too hard to keep it from her. After a good five minutes of cracking up to the mental images of his girlfriend's failed condom test, the solider managed to pull himself together. God, he couldn't remember the last time he'd laughed so hard. How long had it been since he'd found something so funny? He didn't know, but laughing like that made everything seem just a bit brighter.  
"I guess since my pretend sperm got you pretend pregnant, I should help with our pretend baby." The solider smirked, pulling Emmalin into his lap. His lips wandered down the back of her slender neck, leaving a soft trail of hickeys down the soft tissue of her neck and shoulders. He loved leaving hickeys on Emmalin, almost in a territorial way. The red marks decorating her swan-like neck clearly told people that she was taken, taken by him.  
"Just like you're pretending to help." The Army Brat teased, pulling her long hair away from her collar, giving Jeremy's lips better access. She had worn her hair pulled back today and begrudgingly Jeremy was more than a little disappointed.  
"Hmm. I'm not gonna put a pretend ring on that finger if my pretend Baby Mama keeps dogging me." He ribbed, now kissing the tender flesh that he had just bitten and sucked.  
"Carefull where you leave those hickeys, my mom thinks they're tacky." In response Jeremy tugged Emmalin's purple shirt down, exposing a sun-kissed shoulder. He gently started attacking this newly revealed flesh, skin that could easily be hidden from her mother's gaze.  
"Hey, do we have a boy or girl?" the thought had never occurred to him before, but glancing at the sleeping "baby" he wondered what gender his imaginary child was.  
"Well I know what it is, but which do you want? It's too late to change genders so you'll have to deal either way, but I'm just curious. Boy or girl? We still have to pick a name too." Emmalin smiled, squirming from her seat on his lap to look at his dark brown eyes.  
"Boy. I wanna boy." He laughed, stroking the ends of her ponytail. He laid a kiss on her forehead. Kids were far out of the question right now, they hadn't even reached second base yet so baby-making activities weren't exactly on the table. But someday, a long time from now, he wanted a son. Someone to play sports with, teach how to shave, show how to tie a tye.  
"Lucky you. It's a boy." Emmalin laughed. She had wanted a girl but had been late to class and had to settle for a boy doll.  
"And the name?... His middle name should be Lee." Jeremy suggested, pulling her shirt back into place.  
"That's your's and the Major's middle name." Emmalin smiled fondly, Jeremy and Frank both had the middle name 'Lee'.  
"Family tradition. Goes back generations." The solider chuckled, kissing the top of her forehead softly.  
"Hmmm, blank Lee Sherwood. He needs a first name." The petite Army Brat teased. Her hand right hand roughly gripped the front of his black t-shirt, pulling their lips together.  
"You pick, baby." He didn't care what the pretend baby's name was, but he wondered what she would have named a real baby. All he could pray was that she didn't follow the weird name trend that Hollywood celebrities had started. Seriously, it would be a cold damn day in hell before he let her name the kid 'Apple' or 'Denim'.  
"What about Kyle? Or Daniel? Or Aiden? I like all those names." Emmalin suggested, nibbling the tip of her finger in thought. She squirmed in the Private's lap as she produced more baby names.  
"Whatever you want." He told her, stealing a quick kiss.  
"How about Micheal? After my dad. Micheal Lee Sherwood?" Emmalin smiled, she liked the idea of naming their temporary baby after her father.  
"That's a nice name, baby." He laughed, turning her gently so that he could kiss her fully in the lips. His full cocoa-colored lips sweetly fondled her rosy ones. The Army Brat quickly responded to his gentle kisses. Soon their innocent lip brushing turned more passionate, Jeremy's smooth tongue slid across her bottom lip asking for entrance. Smiling she quickly granted him access to her moist cavern.  
Their tongues tangled for dominance, his eventually winning. Carefully, he pushed her back onto the couch, lowering himself over her, supporting his weight on his elbows. Emmalin's fingers tangled in the solider's slightly grown out buzz cut, their lips and tongues still tangling. She felt Jeremy pull her hair free from it's ponytail, his hands getting lost in her dark tresses. His dog tags dripped from his neck, the skin-warmed metal resting against her bosom. They were too lost in their kissing to notice the entrance of Claudia Joy Holden and Roxy LeBlanc, the two older women watching their passionate make-out session.  
"See Claudia Joy, I told you a screaming baby with a loaded diaper wasn't enough to stop teenagers from going at it!" Roxy laughed, breaking the two from their session embarrassedly. Private Sherwood quickly slid off the Army Brat, sitting up straight on the edge of the couch. Emmalin followed suit and began pulling her hair back up into a respectable state.  
"Having fun? I know I said I wanted ten grandkids, but I didn't mean right away." Claudia Joy teased, she knew they weren't having sex but she couldn't help herself from commenting.  
"Nice hickeys, sweetheart. Is Jeremy a neck man? Trevor is and look what happened to me!" Roxy laughed, setting the grocery bags down and exposing her very swollen baby bump.  
"Nah, Jeremy's strictly a breast man." Emmalin laughed, pointing at her bosom to emphasis her point. They all knew Jeremy wasn't getting any boob action, but he made no effort to hide his longing stares. Really he was the victim here, he'd merely fell pray to her fantastic rack. Could he really be faulted for staring at her plentiful cleavage?...well his mother certainly thought so.  
"Oohh. Well then he's got a whole playground there, doesn't he? Your's are bigger than mine, even when I was pregnant." Claudia Joy pretended to reach for one of her daughter's breasts playfully.  
"More is definitely more." Jeremy confirmed, bringing a laugh from Emmalin.  
"You don't need anymore! These are c-cups, no man needs more than that to play with!"  
"Think of how great a swimmer you'd be though."  
"He's right, Emmalin. You'd never drown."  
"I swim just fine, thank you...," She cringed as her knee collided harshly with the wooden coffee table, a purple bruise already beginning to form, "It's all other forms of movement that I get injured doing."  
Extending a hand, he rubbed her sore knee thoughtfully. Suddenly,little plastic Michael Lee Sherwood erupted into a fit of loud piercing wails. Groaning Emmalin reached for the noisy doll.  
"I think that's a sign from God that I should remain a virgin till death." Emmalin said, her earlier fatigue evident.  
All the youngest Holden received in return were looks from her three companions. A thankful and relieved smile from her mother, a doubtful gaze from Roxy LeBlanc, and wide stunned eyes from her poor boyfriend.  
...Okay, so maybe she wouldn't write off sex just yet, but there was no way anyone was talking her into ten children. 


	17. A Hockey Hit To The Head

**Author's Note:** FIRST off I would love to thank all my fantastic and supportive reviewers (Vett91, LaLaLola, and HeavenlySerenity) and my amazingly awesome BETA (Anya Dashitova) who understands my crazy, demanding, workaholic, bilingual needs and still loves working with me! SECONDLY, I have decided to change the plot to follow the show's storyline. The only thing I'm switching is that Jeremy DOESN'T shoot himself and is instead put under a 72hr suicide watch. Sooo for the sake of the story I'm going to pretend that Emmalin instead snuck into his watch room. Perhaps I will write a side one-shot that ties into this story that describes that. Thank you everyone for your endless patience and fantastic encouragement ;)  
**Disclaimer:** I do not own Army Wives...though I'm currently purchasing the paperwork that would allow me to own Richard Bryant...jkjkjk I wish!

Wide amber eyes slowly fluttered open, observing the surroundings of the hospital room in the Mercer Army Medical Hospital. Emmalin Holden gazed gently upon the sleeping figure of Major General Michael Holden, passed out from exhaustion in the plastic hospital chair next to her. Groaning the seventeen year old stretched her tired muscles and rubbed a kink in her neck, well that's why everyone complained about sleeping in a hospital she supposed. God, her head hurt. What happened? The last thing she remembered was her hockey game.  
"Your awake early. It's good to see you moving around.... You had me worried." A deep, husky voice to her right chuckled. The Army Brat didn't even need to turn her head to know who the masculine voice belonged to; Private Jeremy Sherwood, her boyfriend of three months. His voice made a deep longing arise in her, she hated hospitals and needed to be closer to him now.  
Slowly, as she didn't want to further hurt her already aching neck and pounding head, she turned to look at the solider. He looked good, but that wasn't out of the norm since he always did, even though fatigue was evident in his voice and eyes. His sun-tanned skin stood out vividly against the pale plastic of the hospital chair. His seat had been pulled close to her bedside and she knew that he'd been beside himself with worry.  
"My head hurts like crazy. What happened?" Emmalin asked softly, not wanting to disturb her sleeping father. She smoothed her hospital gown as she spoke, an attempt to clear the pastel fabric of any wrinkles.  
With every word her throbbing head felt like it was being split open with a rusty pic-ax, a wave of nausea flooded over her with every intake of breath.  
"You banged your head open at a hockey game." Jeremy replied; she patted the open space of bed next to her. The seventeen year old pulled the bedding back, showing that she wanted him under the covers with her.  
"C'mere....and tell me what happened" The Army Brat requested, smiling sweetly. Jeremy was anything but the "hugging type", but she knew he loved being close to her.  
"You wanna play nurse, baby?" The solider chuckled, reaching for her slender hand. He laced their fingers together gently. He definitely didn't like being coddled, but he secretly loved snuggling with Emmalin. It wasn't very manly so Jeremy wouldn't admit it out loud or anything, but his girlfriend knew he liked the close contact that holding her provided. She openly loved being affectionate and cuddling was her favorite past-time, Emmalin didn't care who saw them.  
"Alright, as long as we're not playing Doctor." The brunette teased, she grimaced as pain shot through her head. A slender hand went to the back of her head, shocked to find a bandage there. The same hand went to rub her temple in slow small circles.  
Jeremy carefully slid into the hospital bed, Emmalin gently curled into his warm body like a newborn kitten. Her slender arms wrapped around his neck and she buried herself into Jeremy' muscled chest. Slender fingers gripped the collar of his 'ARMY' shirt as another batch of pain shot through the Army Brat's skull, she bit her lip in an attempt to stop the flow of tears. Despite the effort, a few salt water droplets leaked from the Army Brat's amber eyes.  
Jeremy gently wiped Emmalin's tears away with his thumb, he laid a tender trail of kisses across her forehead. She mewed softly against the soldier's shoulder.  
Their legs entwined, his arms wrapping around her waist protectively, pulling her impossibly close, he wrapped the blankets around them securely. Jeremy's coco-colored lips laid gentle kisses across her cheek and forehead. He cupped her face, pulling her lips to his for a chaste kiss. They didn't get tender moments like this all the time, so that made it all the more special, despite the awful location.  
"There was thirty minutes left on the clock and this huge bitch comes ramming into you and knocks you over. She's basically tossing you across the rink with her skates and beating you with her stick." Private Sherwood paused to give Emmalin time to process all that new information, "Baby, you busted your head open on the ice and blacked out." His husky voice whispered, he gently reached around her to free her hair of the bandages, "You've got twelve stitches, a concussion, and no permanent brain damage...err, well no more than you had before. Thank God you were wearing that helmet, baby." Jeremy knew how much she hated hospitals, they made her uneasy and filled her with endless anxiety. The last time she'd been in Mercer, she had snuck into his room while he was on a 72 hour suicide watch. She shivered roughly in his arms, more from her hatred of hospitals than the cold. Regardless he pulled her tighter to him until she was practically in his lap. Emmalin smiled against the crook of his neck, basking in his sweet sandalwood scent and wondrous body heat. He gently rubbed the small of her back in slow circles, making low purrs erupt from the Army Brat.  
"Mmmh. I love it when you do that." She whispered against his chest.  
"I know. Makes you purr like a kitten, baby." His lips trailed down her neck, leaving a fresh hickey on the smooth skin of Emmalin's collar.  
"Where's my mom?" The Army Brat asked, nipping his collar lightly.  
"She and my mom went to get coffee, they'll probably be back soon." Jeremy explained, smoothing her glossy hair back from her forehead.  
"I hope not. I wouldn't want them to interrupt." Emmalin whispered against the soldier's lips, starting a moist tongue battle. Jeremy eventually won dominance in their smooth tango of tongues.  
"I don't know if I should really be denying your head of any much needed oxygen right now." Jeremy teased, only half kidding. He ran his long, strong hand through the ends of the seventeen year old's long hair and placed another tender kiss on her temple.  
"Any idea where a nurse with painkiller is?" She sighed, stroking his buzz cut affectionately. The pounding within her skull was like a bottle rocket being set off in the confines of her cranium.  
"Its 0400, they're probably changing shifts. I'll go find one if you want me too." Jeremy bit his lip, slowly untangling himself from his girlfriend.  
"No! Don't leave....I can deal with it." She said hurriedly before Jeremy could pull away, the last thing she wanted was for him to leave her.  
"I could just press the buzzer?" The solider offered once again. He was worried about Emmalin and could tell she was hurting right now.  
"No, that'd wake Dad, and then he might make you move." Emmalin whispered, sliding back into Jeremy's lap, her back relaxing into his chest. The Army Brat could feel hard, well-developed cords of muscle against her back, even through their clothes, she was currently fighting the urge to run her hands along them.  
"I know you're dieing to ask to me 'bout the final score." Jeremy accused teasingly, pulling her closer for a kiss. His long slender hands reached toward the recently abandoned hospital chair and pulled a dark jacket off the plastic back. The solider wrapped the soft black fleece around his girlfriend, a gently effort to keep her warm. Emmalin's skin was always freezing, that's one of the reasons she loved snuggling with Jeremy, because he was always so warm.  
"Its killing me! Tell me, please.... Ohhh they didn't cut me out of my jersey did they!?!?" Emmalin begged. Some might say she was hockey obsessed...but she liked to think she was just extremely dedicated.  
"Your coach called and said the score was 30-27, you won.... And your jersey survived the crash just fine, it's umm...your helmet that they had to cut off." He was more than reluctant to tell her the last part.  
"Ughhh, I'm gonna have to replace that before next week's game." The brunette sighed, leaning even further into the military man's chest.  
"Well I don't know about that. You're hurt, baby, you might need to take a small break. Let yourself heal."  
"Well at least we can fool around for a bit before my mom gets back." Emmalin teased her moist pink tongue licking the Private's earlobe. She shifted in his lap so that they were facing each other, her knees on either side of Jeremy's hips. Amber eye met gold-flecked chocolate eyes, both slowly closing as their lips began to dance.  
"Mmhh, sounds fun. I've never felt a girl up in a hospital bed before." He untied the first bow on the back of Emmalin's hospital gown, making the neckline plunge. Chuckling he slide apart the second bow, pulling the pale itchy gown down to her ribcage. Emmalin was left in only a sheer, lacy red bra. Jeremy's lips, tongue, and teeth danced across the newly revealed skin, the soft delicate skin tantalizing to his taste-buds.  
"She's seventeen, you're not getting anything on, boy. And babydoll, I expect that hospital gown to magically readjust itself." Colonel Frank Sherwood announced from the doorway, taking a seat in Jeremy's abandoned one.  
"Morning, Dad." Jeremy greeted, not releasing the Army Brat from his embrace. Private Sherwood's hands busied themselves with retying Emmalin's gown. He had never been so disappointed to see his father. Did the man have a chip in his head or something that went off every time his son got some alone time with his girlfriend? Jeremy was really starting to wonder.  
"Mornin', boy. How you feeling sweetie-pie?" Frank clapped his son on the shoulder and smiled concernedly at Emmalin.  
"Been better." The seventeen year old replied honestly. Her arms wrapped around Jeremy's torso and her throbbing head found a home in the crook of his neck.  
"Where's Dee and Claudia Joy?" Frank asked the nineteen year old, looking around for his wife and her friend. He chuckled when Michael let out a soft snore from the chair next to him.  
"Food and coffee. Here they come." Jeremy replied, gesturing towards the two women walking through the doorway.  
"Oh good, you're awake, sweetheart!" Claudia Joy smiled. She approached the bed and wrapped her arms around her seventeen year old.  
"Hey Mom. Hi Mrs. Sherwood. Mom could you get a nurse for me real quick...my head's pounding." Emmalin winced.  
"Ohh, Claudia Joy you stay here. I'll hunt one down." Denise offered, leaving the room before she even received an answer.  
"Michael still sleeping?" Claudia Joy asked, her dark eyes drifting to her softly snoring husband.  
"Like a baby." Colonel Sherwood chuckled from next to Michael.  
"He was worried about you Emmalin." Claudia Joy expressed to her daughter.  
"Sorry, I di..." The brunette began, before being cut off by her boyfriend.  
"It wasn't your fault, baby. That forward had it out for you." The solider corrected. And he was right, it was her fault this huge girl decided to beat her head against the ice.  
"I'm so sorry for the delay...Miss Holden." the blonde nurse apologized entering the room behind Denise, "We weren't aware you had woken up. And we can't medicate you for at least another six hours, we need to be able to monitor your pain. If we gave you painkillers we wouldn't be able to tell if your brain was swelling." the woman reached toward the foot of the bed to swipe Emmalin's medical chart.  
"Alright....um, how long until I'm released?" Emmalin asked. All she wanted right now was to go home. Bad things usually happened to her in hospitals. The last time she was her Jeremy had been under suicide watch, and the time before that her mother was diagnosed with diabetes, the time before that her mother almost died and they lost Amanda, hospitals would always be difficult for her now. Sitting in this bed with doctors and nurses and sad eyes only made her relieve losing he sister.  
"I can't be sure. Your chart says you suffered a minor head injury, so in a few minutes your doctor will stop by and give you an estimation." The nurse explained, her blonde hair twirling around her finger as she spoke. The young nurse took her leave, Emmalin's medical data in hand.  
"Thank you." Claudia Joy answered for her daughter. The Army Wife shook her husband awake and briefed him. Michael looked reluctant to wake up until bribed with fresh coffee.  
About ten minutes later, a short doctor with grayish-white hair that was balding at the top entered the room with a friendly demeanor. The amount of coffee he must of had to be so happy at four in the morning could probably fill the ocean.  
"Good morning everyone. I'm Dr. Thompson." the man introduced himself smiling broadly, his steady hand contained papers similar to the ones the nurse had carried out moments before, "Ive got a copy of your chart right here, now let's take a look...hmm it says here that your baby's just fine!"  
"Baby?!?! That's not possible...I've never even..." Emmalin Holden's eyes widened as she stared at the ridiculously happy man before her. There was no way she could be with child, didn't you have to have sex in order to get pregnant?  
Her eyes went to Jeremy's, begging for reassurance. Sadly, he had none to offer. All eyes slowly went to look at the teenagers. Frank's knuckles cracked, a gruesome noise in the awkward silence. Holy cow, Emmalin had never seen the Colonel so mad....and then she turned to look at her father, who was two seconds away from strangling Jeremy. She slowly realized that everyone wasn't just staring at only her, their parents were throwing accusing and dangerous glares at Jeremy.  
"Ohhh wait...this is room 247 right? I'm new here...first day on the job." Dr. Thompson asked, feeling the tension that drenched the room like blood in a horror movie. The girl he had been assigned to was a two months pregnant teen who had spotting appear in the middle of the night, none of these people appeared to know anything about a baby.  
"This is room 147. 247's a whole floor up." Denise corrected, she knew the halls and levels of Mercer well. She remembered them from when she had worked there.  
"Whoops...well I better go tell the people in 247 that their baby's okay.... Sorry for the inconvenience." The doctor blushed apologetically. This was the third time today he had reached the wrong destination.  
"Jeremy Lee Sherwood, boy, I was five seconds from reaching over and dragging your ass to the parking-lot. Bout to beat the snot outta you." Frank said relieved, he took a sharp intake of breath.  
"If Emmalin gets pregnant it's a medical miracle. Cause I never touched her." Jeremy swore, she could feel the tension leave his body.  
"You were worried there for a second, I could feel you tense behind me." Emmalin giggled, gripping the Army Private's hand tightly.  
"I was confused. I kept thinking, well, where was I?."  
"You weren't invited. I stole your little troopers and went to the clinic. It was a beautiful, life changing experience between me and my 12 gynecologists."  
"Oh Lord, Emmalin Jane don't even joke that way. Don't you remember taking care of that crying babydoll?" Claudia Joy gasped, the woman still hadn't recovered from her previous shock.  
"Claudia Joy he had a name! It was Mini-Michael." the General corrected, he had been so proud that his daughter named her SexEd project after him....and yes he realized how creepy that thought sounded.  
"I wanna know why he wasn't named little Frank?" Frank teased, slugging his son on the shoulder playfully.  
"Please, we didn't name him after the General...we named him after Michael Jackson." Emmalin laughed.  
"We figured it was the best way to honor the Prince of Pop." Jeremy finished, his hand running through Emmalin's dark locks.  
"Our next pretend baby's name is gonna be Elvis....Elvis Maurice Sherwood." The seventeen year old announced. She watched the grimace on her boyfriend's face, clearly Elvis Maurice wasn't a name he was fond of.  
"Emmalin, sweetheart, I think the sooner we get your head checked out the better...and maybe we should see if we can't change that no medication thing?" Claudia Joy recommended, figuring that anyone who dreamed of naming a plastic baby Elvis Maurice was in desperate need of drugs.  
So the morning officially began with the correct Doctor visiting, and thankfully Emmalin didn't have any permanent brain damage...or a baby. Since Emmalin wasn't impregnated, Jeremy wasn't killed. No Holdens or Sherwoods were put on medication...this time. Emmalin was disappointed that she would indeed miss her hockey game, but thankfully would be released from the hospital tomorrow. Another day, another trip to Mercer Army Medical Center, that's life in Fort Marshall alright.

**Author's Note 2:** Thanks for reading! Please review! Especially since I'm working on the next chapter! I'm thinking maybe a guy-bonding camping trip? People have been asking for more Frank and so I've put him in there tons! Love Riley :)


	18. Nobody Does Dinner Like Denise

Private Jeremy Sherwood couldn't pull his eyes away from the swaying form of his girlfriend. Emmalin Holden sauntered across the Sherwood kitchen, gathering and preparing ingredients as she went. His chocolate-colored orbs stared at her longingly, Jeremy didn't think he'd ever have his fill of Emmalin.  
Everything she did appealed to him, and she didn't even have to try. Sunlight filtered through the open curtains of the kitchen window, illuminating the Army Brat's beautiful features as she was lost in her own la-la-land, oblivious to her boyfriend's heavy gaze.  
Her long dark hair cascaded down her shoulders and ended in the middle of her back. His eyes drifted down her curvy silhouette; the line of her sides, the delicate small of her back, her slender hips, round bottom and long legs are just a few things that caught the soldier's eye.  
Despite her obvious physical beauty, that wasn't what drew him to her. Jeremy could easily find a pretty girl, he doubted he could find anyone more beautiful than Emmalin, but there were dozens of pretty girls for him to choose from. The youngest Holden had so much more to offer than just looks. She was smart, funny, humble, nurturing, and so many other things. Even the quirky things about her amazed him, like how clumsy she was, and how she mispronounced 'library' every time she said it, and the way she was hockey obsessed. They didn't need words to understand each other, she always just knew. He didn't need to tell her something was wrong because Emmalin always understood.  
He loved her. He had never said those three special words out loud but she somehow still understood. Emmalin told him she loved him constantly, and she didn't care who heard her. It wasn't that easy for the soldier, the only people he had ever told he loved were his parents. But despite the silent understanding between them, he still need to tell her. Emmalin deserved better than that, she deserved to hear it.  
Wordlessly he walked up behind the seventeen year old, taking a knife and vegetables from her grasp and setting them aside on the counter. Jeremy had effectively gained her attention, he clasped her small hands in his large ones and pulled Emmalin close, her back fitting perfectly against his chest. She always seemed so small next to him, but still seemed like every curve of her's was made to specially mesh with him. Jeremy kissed her cheek softly, his lips soon wandering down her swan like neck before sucking on the edge of her earlobe.  
"I love you." His deep baritone voice whispered against the shell of her ear. She quickly spun around to face him, her long fingers gripping his shirt and pulling him closer.  
"You love me?" Emmalin asked, begging him to repeat the long awaited confession. They had been dating three months and while she wasn't going to rush him into anything, she had been eager to hear Jeremy say those three words.  
"I love you." He chuckled, his hand gently smoothing the hair from her forehead.  
"That's the first time you've ever told me you love me, Jeremy." Emmalin smiled and leaned in for a kiss. Her pink lips felt so soft against his, sometimes the soldier worried about hurting her. She always seemed so fragile, small and breakable.  
"I know." Jeremy said simple, kissing Emmalin softly. They're lips caressing the others. The chaste touch quickly became rough, his tongue sliding across her bottom lip asking for entrance to her moist cavern. Emmalin was always more than happy to oblige, their tongues fought for dominance. His tongue stroked and explored every square inch of her mouth.  
"You love me?" The Army Brat smiled, pulling away desperate for air, she wanted to hear him say it again.  
"I love you, baby." His husky voice said against her throat, he laid quick kissed against her collar. His heart was thundering against his ribcage but in a good way, Emmalin always had this affect on him.  
"I love you too." Emmalin giggled, kissing his cheek. Her arms wrapped around his neck as he lifted her in his arms. Jeremy kissed her softly.  
"Baby...you're burning dinner." The Private chuckled and set her down. Panic filled her eyes. The poor thing had been attempting his mother's recipe for weeks and could never achieve perfection. Denise Sherwood was a home cooking legend and her level of food excellence was difficult. The most recent local disaster had been Pamela Moran's attempt at a Denise Sherwood recipe....her husband was finally being released from the hospital after conquering a wicked bout of food poisoning....that was a pretty darn affective way to keep him from Delta.  
"Ughhh, no! Not again." Emmalin pouted. Her dish was thoroughly ruined. Well at least she still had her boyfriend...and as a plus, he wasn't a picky eater. She could probably get away with feeding him dirt without any complaint.  
"If it helps...I still love you, even if I have to spend the rest of my life living off of mac'n'cheese and poptarts." Jeremy chuckled, kissing her forehead as Emmalin tried to salvage the remains of his mother's recipe.  
And he meant it too, he loved her enough to eat her cooking after all.


	19. Better Late, Than Never

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the delay, this chapter gave me huge writer's block :'( Special thanks to **LittleGirlPhoenix**and **Jodee** for telling me that the new format was hard to read! I had no idea and I wish they would've said something earlier! So back to the old format it is!

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing :'( not Army Wives, not the characters, not even Lake Greenwood…it's a real place :) I googled SC campsites!

It was an early Saturday morning in South Carolina; brisk but not chilly, bright but not sunny, the perfect kind of weather for Colonel Frank Sherwood's plans.

Silence decorated Ft. Sherwood, not even a cricket's chirp could be hear at this early hour. The blonde Colonel rose from bed at 0300 and quickly prepared for his adventure. Not even bothering to slip anything over his boxers, the man wandered through his home in the early morning with one destination on his mind. His long muscled legs carried him up the stairs and down the hall, to his sleeping son's room.

Quietly, a strong arm tore open the wooden door, revealing his slumbering nineteen year old son. Private Jeremy Sherwood laid in bed, semi-peacefully for once not tossing around viciously. Frank almost felt bad for what he was about to do…almost.

Walking into the room silently, Frank switched the light panel on, filling the room with soft light. Although Jeremy was a light sleeper the new illumination wasn't quite enough to wake him. The Military Man stood up straight in front of his son's bed, almost straight enough to be at 'attention'. Frank gently tugged the covers off his son, effectively waking the Army Private. In response Jeremy rolled from his back to his stomach. He had been told once that if a bear attacks you, you're supposed to play dead and they'll go away and that seemed to be his best plan of action. Though it was probably wishful thinking, because Jeremy knew his father was smarter than the average bear.

"Morning, boy. Up and at 'em." Frank said, poking his nineteen year old's tattooed back. Jeremy let out a low moan.

"Mmmhh….Stop poking me…Dad it's three in the morning. And you sorta just interrupted the best night's sleep I've had in weeks." Private Sherwood groaned, shrugging the Major's hand away from his back. He pulled the covers back over himself.

"I know that, boy. Now come on, gotta get up. We have plans." Frank pulled the covers back down. He almost chuckled, Dee wasn't a morning person either. Yup, Jeremy definetly wasn't Private Sunshine.

"What plans could we possibly have at 0300?"

"Member that camping trip you asked me to take you on?"

"The one from when I was twelve?" His dark brown eyes opened, completely shocked that his Old Man was dragging him out of him warm bed at 0300 because of a camping trip he wanted seven years ago.

"Yeah…well, you and me both got time and I figured it's 'better late then never' and all. We leave for Lake Greenwood this morning and get back Monday morning. The LeBlancs, Roland, and Moran's boy are tagging along. Michael couldn't make it, he's been dying to see the fishing action down in Greenwood for months but he can't get off work."

"Can't it wait a couple hours?"

With one soft chuckle, he gripped the bottom of the mattress, roughly pulling it upwards and tipped it over, effectively throwing his son on the floor.

"Nope. Now hit the showers, boy. Then get your gear together, we're roughing it Army style. And you might wanna leave a message on Emmalin's voicemail, so she won't worry."

Lake Greenwood, one of the biggest state parks in South Carolina had plenty of open camp grounds this morning. Deep green ever wood's decorated the horizon, leaving patches of cloudless blue sky above their heads. The birds were chirping, the frogs were hoping, and the bees were doing….well they were doing whatever it is they do.

Ohhh yes, Colonel Frank Sherwood was a man who loved the great outdoors and Lake Greenwood, it seemed, was the greatest of the great outdoors. The smell of forest pine, the cool mountain air, and the warm sunshine on his skin was enough to get the adrenaline pumping through his veins. Sure he spent months out of the year, stationed in a tent out in the dessert but that was hardly camping. There wasn't any fishing or swimming, or tree climbing at work but there sure was at Lake Greenwood, all of which where how Frank and his companions spent the morning.

The camp was assembled and now fully functional. A tent for Frank and Jeremy, a tent for Roland and Trevor, and a tent for Lucas, TJ, and Finn. Everything was going as planned, the fire pit was being assembled for tonight's cookout. Frank couldn't be more pleased.

"Not to sound like the odd man out… but do I stack these in a triangle or just pile them together?" Roland asked Frank, attempting to make a fire pit. The poor Chicago doctor had never been to the "great outdoors" and he was honestly not finding what was so great about. There was mosquitoes and dirt, and he felt like a retard since he couldn't even figure out how to make a fire. Honestly, he knew seven year old boy scouts that could make fires blindfolded.

"Whichever you prefer." Frank shrugged. A knife in his hand was being used to gut the trouts that had been caught fishing earlier.

"I'm from Chicago…I don't know what I prefer." Dr. Burton admitted, slightly embarrassed to admit this to the Colonel.

"They don't camp in Chicago?" Frank chuckled, putting down his current fish to look at the good doctor.

"You've never been to Chicago have you?" Roland laughed as Frank kneeled down next to the fire pit to lend a hand.

"I don't wanna be the odd man out…" The Colonel quoted from earlier.

"How are you and Jeremy doing lately, Frank? I'm guessing that's what this whole trip is about." the Army Husband asked as he passed Frank a long, thin piece of wood.

"Well…he prefers Emmalin to his ol' man." Frank shrugged. Things had been rough between them in the communication department now that they stopped attending counseling together with Dr. Burton. Frank and Jeremy had always had a hard time talking, especially since the Colonel had spent so much time away from home when Jeremy was little. And when he had been home Frank hadn't always been there to talk too, he'd been a drill sergeant and hard to be around. Frank would give anything to go back for a second chance.

"Naturally." Roland teased, impressed as Frank effortlessly light a fire. Okay…he might have been a little bit jealous that he hadn't been able to figure out the campfire.

"Whenever I try to talk to him, it just seems like neither of us knows what to say." the Blonde sighed, glancing across the campground to where his son was. Jeremy was teaching Lucas Moran how to rope together a net for crawdad catching.

"You can talk about whatever, just as long as you're talking." explained Roland, who was pulling a can opener from his knapsack. Roland knew from personal experience that the Sherwood men couldn't talk about their feelings to save their darn lives.

"But I…and he…I don't think he wants to talk to me, Roland. Neither one of us has ever been good with words." Frank struggled to describe the situation to Roland.

"Crap…it's raining!" Trevor LeBlanc called from across the campsite. Thick rain drops began to pelt from the sky, quickly getting bigger in the three seconds it took everyone to respond.

"Everyone to their tents! Before it starts to pour!" Colonel Sherwood shouted above the loud thundering. The remaining camper's followed suit and made their way quickly to their tents, which thankfully happened to be waterproof.

Frank held open the tent flap as he and Jeremy stepped into the camo-colored vinyl, taking refuge from the weather. As the blonde pulled the zipper shut, the rain began to fall outside as heavy as a speeding semi-truck. The Colonel turned to see the dim outline of his son stripping out of his wet clothes and into fresh ones, his back turned.

"It's raining." Frank suggested, a pathetic attempt at starting a conversation with the nineteen year old. Wordlessly the blonde flipped on a battery-powered lantern, filling the tent with soft illumination. The new lighting revealed his son in dry, faded blue jeans and a soft blue hoodie.

"Yes, Sir." Private Jeremy Sherwood replied. His father had been acting weird all day and that three A.M. wake up call was only the beginning. Frank had been giving him strange looks since they left for Lake Greenwood that morning.

"Sooo…how are you?" Frank questioned. He never said the right thing at the right time. The Colonel knew he and his son were constantly treading on thin ice with each other. Was it wrong that he was slightly jealous of his wife's way with words? Denise had always been the good communicator.

"Umm…wet?" Jeremy suggested, pulling a dry shirt over his head as he spoke.

"Ohh…me too."

"Yeah."

"I meant how are you…erm, feeling and crap?" Okay, okay so he wasn't the most sensitive give on the planet.

"Ummh…why do you ask?" The nineteen year old asked. He turned his head to look at his father. Was this a trick question? What the hell was his father getting at?

"Just curious is all." Frank answered, running a hand over his fair hair.

"What's this all about, Dad?" Jeremy sighed, trying not to lose his temper.

"What da ya mean, boy?" Frank raised a brow.

"What's with the game of 20 questions you keep trying to play? What's with this sudden camping trip? What do you want from me?" Raising his voice so he could be heard over the loud storm.

"I just…wanna talk to you, boy? You're a man now and….and I feel like I don't know the first thing about you." Frank admitted shrugging. He felt guilty and like an ass. God, he'd give anything for a do-over.

"What's this about?" Jeremy asked, more confused then ever. What was with his father's sudden interest in him? He paced the tent floor quietly waiting for his father's response.

"I was with Trevor the other day and he knew everything about those two boys, Finn and TJ, and they're not even really his. And I sat there and I didn't even know half that stuff about you and you're mine… He knew their favorite colors." Frank couldn't keep his eyes off the floor or the sleeping bags, anywhere but his son. He almost couldn't stand to face the nineteen year old. Frank could lead a platoon like no one else but he felt to ashamed to look his son in the eyes?

"Blue." the Private said simply.

"Come again?" He asked confusedly.

"My favorite color is blue. I like sports. I have a temper and hate talking about my feelings. I can't cook, I suck at laundry and stuff…" Jeremy suggested, running his hand over his dark buzz-cut. His old man had never acted like this before.

"I always liked blue…what's your favorite movie?" Frank smirked, patting the spot on the tent floor next to him. Jeremy reluctantly sat next to his father, close enough to show that he was making an effort but far enough that he couldn't be touched.

"The Godfather." Jeremy shrugged. The Godfather was a classic, no argument."

"Last time I checked, you were four and your favorite movie was 101 Dalmatians. I swear to God, you and I must've watched that video 101 times." Frank chuckled, pulling his shoes off and tossing them near the rest of his stuff.

"We did?" His eyes widened in disbelief. Jeremy couldn't remember that.

"Yeah. You and I sat on the couch in our P.J.'s for three whole days one time. God, your mother was so upset at me for it. I had just got leave and I spent my first three days home with you watching 101 Dalmatians." The Colonel explained, changing into dry clothes. When he finished he made sure to close the distance between him and his son.

"I don't remember…I can't remember you at all from when I was little." The Private felt a little more than guilty admitting this.

"I was gone a lot." It was Frank's turn to feel a little more than guilty now.

"I know." the Military Man agreed.

"If I could go back-" the Blonde started, before being cut off.

"Don't." He didn't want to hear it. It was too late and he didn't want to hear any 'would've, could've, or should've' s.

"It's just-" Frank tried again.

"Don't." Jeremy was determined to get the last word on this one.

"Okay." Frank took in a deep breath, "If you had gone to college, what would you have been?"

"An architect." Jeremy was great at math and he was good at drawing.

"I always knew I was gonna be in the Army. I wanted something better for you, boy. I wanted you to have a great job, one that didn't take you away from your family constantly-" Frank sighed, before once again being cut off by his son.

"Don't." He didn't want to hear anymore about how his father he fucked up his life by turning down WestPoint. He didn't want to go to WestPoint, and he didn't want to talk about not going to WestPoint.

"Okay…tell me more. Just…anything, anything I should know about you but don't." Frank requested, studying his son thoughtfully.

Jeremy looked like Denise, Frank thought. Well mostly, if Frank squinted he could see a little bit of him in his son too. They had the same eyes, and broad shoulders, and the same big feet. Upon further inspection he noticed that Jeremy preferred to sit 'Indian-style' just like him. They both were left handed, they both ran their hands through their hair when they were nervous or didn't know what to say, both had awful tempers, and they both never knew what to say. Laughing Frank realized that his son was just like him.

"My favorite food's lasagna, I get really bad heartburn all the time, I like the Army but I don't like hurting people or seeing people get hurt, I think it's morally wrong to put ketchup on a hot dog…" Jeremy started. He was dead serious about that hot dog thing too.

"Me too. I hate that. I'm prejudice against telemarketers, the damn S.O.B.s, I was born in Colorado and I get heartburn too. I keep a bottle of Tums in my glove box in the truck and another one in my desk at work." He smirked.

"I used to keep Tums in my locker back in high school." Jeremy chuckled.

"How are you and Emmalin?" Frank asked, before any awkward silence could engulf the tent like a thick blanket of fog. Frank handed Jeremy a bottle of water

"I don't think we should talk about her." the nineteen year old said, taking the bottle from his father.

"Why?"

"She's the Post Commander's daughter and…it's probably not a good idea for us to mention that." He didn't think there was any way his father could listen about his relationship with his boss's daughter and not end up in a fight over it. He loved Emmalin and he couldn't stop telling his friend's about her, but the solider didn't want to talk with his father about her.

"I wanna hear about her." The officer insisted, slugging his son playfully on the shoulder.

"What do you wanna know?" He caved, figuring that if he didn't tell his father about the seventeen year old then they'd have a fight anyway.

"Everything, boy." Frank was looking for much, just whatever Jeremy was willing to give. Roland always said that it was important to take baby steps.

"I love her. I suck at telling people I love them, and she's the only girl I've ever been in love with. So…I love her." Jeremy shrugged. He didn't know what was off limits to talk about in this subject matter. They had never talked about girls before. Denise had been the one to give him the gory 'Birds and the Bees' speech.

"Are you sleeping together?" Frank asked, reaching for a handful of trail mix from a Ziploc baggie in his knapsack.

"No." Jeremy said simply…but if he was being honest he would've said that he thought about it constantly.

"So…how far have you gotten then?" Frank passed Jeremy the trail mix, smiling when he saw his son grimace and start picking out the raisins. He hated raisins too, Dee loved them.

"Can we even talk about this?" Jeremy groaned, his hand sliding through his hair again.

"I don't see why not?" He shrugged, pulling socks on his feet. He always had cold feet. He had always had big feet, big cold feet. Looking over at the ankles peeking out of Jeremy's jeans, he saw big giant feet that mirrored his own.

"Umm…can I plead the fifth?"

"Hmm…fine but I getta ask you any question I want and you have to answer it?"

"Sure."

"Do you resent me? You know as your father and all. If you could trade dads with someone, would you?" Frank inquired, his voice soft.

"I…I don't know." Jeremy said reluctantly.

"Sure you do." He sighed.

"Sometimes I resent you… but I wouldn't trade dads." Jeremy admitted, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't blame you. I feel like I failed you, boy." the Colonel granted. He patted the nineteen year old's shoulder gently.

"You did… You weren't there when I needed you. You weren't there to teach me to shave or show me how to ride my bike or stuff. You didn't come to any of my sports games or teach me about girls. And when you were there you didn't act like my father." Jeremy's mouth was set in a firm line. They had problems sometimes…err, all of the time but they loved each other. Without a doubt in his mind, Jeremy knew his father loved him.

"I acted like a drill sergeant… I'm sorry, you know." Frank stuttered, "…And I'm the one that taught you all you know about sports, boy. I went to one of your Little League games and your mother gave me a lifetime ban." Frank chuckled, smiling at the memory.

"Mom banned you from my baseball games?" His voice filled with questioning. That didn't sound like something his mother would do.

"Yeah…there was this umpire that kept fouling you for no reason and…I sorta threw a cherry snow cone at his face. Let's just say I hit the bull's eye." That was honestly one of Frank's most shameful deeds. Losing his bad temper like that wasn't his proudest moment.

"You threw your snow cone at an umpire?"

"Not just any umpire, an umpire that was my superior officer and the FRG Leader's husband. His wife assigned your mother to wear the clown suit, big red nose, rainbow afro and all, for the annual FRG Carnival for two years after that. I swear Dee's never forgiven me!" Frank laughed. That was one of the two times Denise had made him sleep on the couch during their twenty year marriage. The other time was when he told her father to 'suck it'.

"I don't remember any of that." Jeremy chuckled, a small smirk dangling off his lips.

"You were really little, five or six. You said you hated me once, you remember that?" Frank asked.

"Nope." He shook his head. Jeremy could never remember telling either of his parents that he hated them. Jeremy had never once thought that he hated his mother or father.

"God, I remember like it was yesterday. Ahh, you were three years old and I was taking you to a doctor's appointment, we were in my old truck and you looked at me and said 'Dad, I think I might hate you' and I looked at you stunned and asked why, and you said 'Because whenever you go away, you make Mommy cry. I don't wanna see Mommy sad anymore.' and woo doggies, did I feel like the biggest asshole on the face of the planet." Frank reminisced, slugging his son playfully on one broad shoulder.

"What'd you do?" Jeremy asked, slugging his father back gently.

"I bought you dog."

"I had a dog? I've always wanted a dog."

"Yeah, you did even back then but you're mother and I wouldn't let you have one because we moved around so much." the Officer laughed, "But I brought you this little chocolate lab puppy home and you were just so happy. You named him Bandit and taught him to play fetch or well tried to teach him to play fetch, you were only three at the time. And then your mother found out why I got you Bandit and she made me get rid of him. Said that buying your love wasn't right. Poor Bandit was only with us for four days."

"I had a dog for four days." Jeremy laughed, he had been a dog person for as long as he could remember. Always wanted one, maybe that was part of why he was so found of Lucky LeBlanc.

"Yep. Do you remember your pet goldfish?" Frank said taking a swig of his bottle of water.

"Yeah I got a pet goldfish named Spot when I was nine." the Private shrugged, not sure what his old pet fish had to do with anything.

"Well, I sorta killed him…on accident. I got some 'Taco Bell' hot sauce in his bowl and it turned out to be pretty lethal." Frank admitted begrudgingly, he had felt guilty about killing Spot for ten years now…and it felt really, really good to get it off his chest.

"You told me I forgot feed him! I thought I killed him and I felt so damn bad that I never got another goldfish!" Jeremy was in shock. He had never gotten over that goldfish thing. Spot was the only pet he ever had and his mom promised that if he kept Spot alive for three months he could get a dog. Spot made it two and a half months before he swam to that great fishbowl in the sky, and Jeremy ended up dog-less.

"I was scared you'd hate me! And I've felt so guilty for the last ten years about that fucking fish, boy I tell you, you have no idea!" Frank laughed.

"I can't believe you killed my fish and lied to me about it." Jeremy shook his head.

"You wanna stop by PetCo and get another one on the way home?" the Colonel suggested. Maybe they could get a clownfish this time? Like the one in Finding Nemo.

"No, because when we get home you're just gonna kill him again. Another round of hot sauce." Jeremy declined teasingly.

"Damn, I feel so much better about that fish thing now."

"Me too. All these years I thought I was a fish murderer."

"I love you, boy." Frank said.

"Love you too, Dad…maybe not as much as Emmalin, but still a lot." the Private joked.

"Well I won't let you shove your tongue down my throat, so I'm okay with coming in second to Emmalin." Frank chuckled.

"Or maybe, it's cause she hasn't killed my pet goldfish."

The night continued on much in that fashion. Colonel Frank Sherwood felt closer to his son than he ever had. The purpose of his big camping trip had been accomplished and he finally felt like he had gotten back on the right track. Frank had missed most of Jeremy's milestones as a kid, but it's 'better late, than never'. He was just a little late is all.


	20. We Don't Need the Guest Bedroom

**Author's Note**: Woo hoo! Another chapter! And this one I wrote in one night…so I don't know if it's semi-decent or anything. Sticking with the old format! Great reviews for the last chapter! Lots of fantastic review for 'Moments' and it's **companion pieces, 'Take Me' and 'Mother's Intuition'** from **Wolfyfangrl **,so I just like to say thanks ;)

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing :'(

Glass was all over the floor of the Holden home. Papers lined the hallway. Clothes and picture frames lay scattered over the furniture. The lights were on but no one was inside. The home of Major General Michael Holden had never looked like this before. The Holden house was in a word…spotless. Always. No exceptions.

It was just the Holden girls for the weekend, the General was away in D.C. for a meeting that determined the fate of Fort Marshall. Claudia Joy and Emmalin Holden had been taking care of errands all afternoon. Dropping things off at the dry cleaners, stopping by Roxy LeBlanc's, and picking up a few groceries for around the house had taken much longer than expected. The previously powder-blue sky was now dark. The cloudless South Carolina night sky was lined with twinkling stars.

As soon as Claudia Joy placed the key in the deadbolt, she knew something was amiss. She just didn't know what. Turning to look at her seventeen year old daughter, carrying bags of groceries in her arms, Claudia Joy asked if maybe they had forgotten something. And when Emmalin shrugged in response Claudia Joy resumed unlocking her front door, revealing the disaster zone that lay behind the thick mahogany wood.

"Oh my God. What happened?" Emmalin's eyes widened, taking in the mess strewn across her previously spotless home. Who would brake into the Post Commander's house?

"Emmalin stay here. Someone's broken in. There might still be someone inside." Claudia Joy whispered. Trying her best to put on a brave front for her daughter, though she was terrified. Someone had intruded in her home, they trespassed on her territory, and who knows what that unknown person or persons wanted.

"Mom…what do I do?" Grabbing her mother by the wrist before she could fully disappear into the house. Fear filled her voice, nothing like this had ever happened to the seventeen year old before and she didn't have a clue what to do. Headlines from the nine o'clock news flashed across her eyes; "Family Killed in House Attack", "Mother and Daughter Murdered By Neighbors", and "Terrorists Attacking the Home Front" were a few that rung through her ears.

"Stay here. Use your cell phone to call the MP's. I'm going to make sure no one's inside." Claudia Joy gently pulled her wrist from her daughter and slowly entered her home.

"Don't go in there! Some mass-murder with a baseball bat could be hiding out in our house!" Emmalin whisper-shouted, to scared to follow.

"I'll be fine. Call Jeremy." Claudia Joy called, pulling an thick metal umbrella from the coat rack. The Hello Kitty covered umbrella didn't exactly look like a fierce weapon but it would have to do.

"Alright." The hockey player whispered weakly, pulling out her pink phone to call her boyfriend and the post MP's.

Less than five seconds after Specialist Jeremy Sherwood got the call, he was dressed and out the door. Jumping in his truck, he was accompanied by his mother who was busy worrying herself sick in the passenger seat. Millions of thoughts raced through his brain at the speed of an Air Force Fighter Jet as he pulled up to the curb of the Holden home.

Jeremy made his way to where his girlfriend was waiting on the porch for him. The look of anxiety and fear that covered her beautiful features made his blood boil, his famous temper rising, heating his skin even in the night air. He didn't know who had broken into the Holden home but they had better be lucky they hadn't laid a finger on Emmalin. If they were the result of so much as a papercut on her tiny body, he'd tear them limb from limb.

"You okay? Where's your Mom?" The Specialist asked concernedly, wrapping the petite brunette in a tight embrace and kissing her forehead soothingly. He shrugged his jacket off and threw it over her shoulders. He gently released Emmalin as she slide her arms through his jacket sleeves.

"Thanks for coming. She's inside with the MP's. Whoever broke-in's gone, I'm just a little freaked out right now. This had never happened before." Fear threaded her voice, the Army Brat tightly laced their fingers together. Her small, cold hand fitting perfectly in his large, warm one.

"I know, baby. It's okay." Jeremy stroked her hair softly with his free hand.

"We don't know what they took or even if they took anything. They were going through stuff, so that means they were looking for something. But it looks like everything's all here." Emmalin explained, fighting off tears. Relief flooded through-out her petite body now that Jeremy was here. She felt secure, loved, and most importantly safe. She raised the color of the nineteen year old's fleece jacket to her nose slowly inhaling in his familiar masculine sandalwood smell. Jeremy's scent alone was enough to make Emmalin's pulse stop racing.

"Don't worry about it right now. We'll worry about that later. Right now we need to find out how they got in." His lips danced against her softly, making all her fears melt. Jeremy pulled away much too soon for Emmalin's likes but that was okay since she could see him mother sprinting across the lawn.

"They broke a window in the dining room and crawled in through there." Emmalin informed, wrapping her arms around the soldier's torso and resting her head against his solid chest, the feel of his cotton shirt caressing her cheek.

"I'll board it up tonight." Jeremy promised, stroking the seventeen year old's long dark hair.

"Sweetheart are you okay? Where's Claudia Joy? What happened?" Denise Sherwood threw her arms around Emmalin tightly. Slowly Emmalin could feel her lungs shrivel as the desperate need for oxygen grew.

"Mom…Mom, she can't breathe!" Jeremy shouted as he watched the color drain from his love's face. Emmalin was quickly turning a whole mass of different colors, like purple and blue and pink before fresh air filled her bloodstream.

"Sorry! Claudia Joy!" The dark haired EMT apologized, before seeing her best friend approach with the Military Police.

"Denise, Jeremy. Thanks for coming." Claudia Joy said appreciation filling her eyes. The women quickly embraced as the MP's gathered their gear at the door.

"Ma'am, we'll keep a lookout across post. Active immediately. It's best to contact the General since whatever was taken seems to have been taken from his paperwork." Major Jordan Daniels said formally.

"Thank you, Major Daniels." The FRG leader thanked, shaking the Major's hand.

"Happy to serve, Mrs. Holden. Miss Holden." Major Daniels said sincerely, before he and his unit pulled away. Their squad car sirens flashing silently as they disappeared beyond the dark street corner.

"What could they have taken from Dad's office?" Emmalin asked worriedly as they relocated to the living room. She picked a flower vase off the floor and returned it to it's usual position on top of a table as she spoke. Jeremy began sticking picture frames back on their wall hooks.

"I don't know sweetheart. But whatever it is, I don't think they found it because they seemed to have searched the whole house." The Army Wife sighed. She knew they were in for a long night.

"The window needs to be fixed tonight. Do you have any boards handy?" Specialist Sherwood asked. Glancing into the dining room with the large broken window.

"In the garage. If you don't mind?" Claudia Joy smiled. Having friends and loved ones around through hard times always made them easier, despite tonight's events she couldn't help but feel blessed.

"It's no problem. Hammer and nails out there too?" Jeremy's husky voice asked, as he headed off in the direction of the Holden garage. He leaned in to kiss Emmalin's forehead before leaving.

"Somewhere. Thank you Jeremy." CJ thanked.

"Come on Claudia Joy, let's make tea." Denise lead her best friend to the kitchen.

By the time the tea kettle's airy whistle blew, Jeremy had boarded the windows and Denise had almost finished a quick dinner. Emmalin had nearly restored the living room to it's original glory and Claudia Joy had cleared the house of broken glass.

"You didn't have to go through all this trouble Denise." The FRG Leader insisted as the dark-haired woman began putting her a plate dinner of cinnamon garlic roast chicken, vegetable stir-fry, and fruit salad into the fridge.

"No trouble at all!" The Army Wife gushed.

"Jeremy, I'm considering marrying into your family just so I can come to Thanksgiving." Emmalin laughed, kissing the soldier's cheek sweetly.

"I'd marry Jeremy just to go Thanksgiving too." Claudia Joy teased. Denise's cooking was amazing during holiday season.

"Mom, are you getting the hot's for my man?" The seventeen year old teased, wrapping her arms possessively around her boyfriend.

"Sweetheart I only have eyes for your father…it's when Grandma comes to visit that you have to start worrying. She's going through this whole cougar phase."

"Mom…can Jeremy stay the night? Please? Just for tonight." Emmalin asked, earning a surprised look from all of her companions. Apparently this was news even to Jeremy.

"I…Well…sure. It's a good idea to have someone here." Claudia Joy struggled to find words for her daughter's request. She reluctantly agreed, thinking how much safer they'd be if the soldier stayed tonight. Michael wasn't coming home until tomorrow night and what if the intruder(s) returned?

"Thanks…can you stay?" Asked Emmalin, turning her attention the nineteen year old. She reached for his hand and slide their fingers together.

"Yeah." Jeremy gave her hand a light squeeze.

"Alright, I'll go make up the guest bedroom." Claudia Joy announced, heading for the stairs.

"Why do we need the guest bedroom? Is Mrs. Sherwood staying the night too?" Emmalin called after her mother, before the Army Wife could reach the stair banister.

"What?" Claudia Joy asked confusedly. If Jeremy wasn't staying in the guest room where was he staying? The couch?

"Mom, Jeremy's staying the night with me…in my room." Emmalin announced. Determination clear in her tone. She was resolute on getting her way on this matter.

"In your bed?" Her mother gasped, looking at Denise with a look of disbelief. As if the other Army Wife could make her daughter change her mind. Jeremy was smart and decided to stay out of this one. Mrs. Sherwood was more than willing to follow her son's lead.

"Well he probably wouldn't be all that comfortable on the floor." The Army Brat pointed out, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"I…You…He…But…" Words couldn't seem to form in Claudia Joy's throat, it was as if her vocal cords suddenly forgot how to work, "…the door stay opens. All night. No argument. And I reserve the right to do a clothing check at anytime tonight." She concluded finally, after much thought. The Army Wife's could swear she felt herself breaking out in hives, itchy red hives all across her skin.

Did her seventeen year old just announce that she was spending an all-nighter in her room with her boyfriend? For a second Claudia Joy looked like she might be having a heart attack.

"Mom, we'll be good. We're not having sex." Emmalin promised, reassuringly.

"I'm trusting you." Denise told Jeremy seriously. Hugging him goodbye.

"I know. Nothing's gonna happen, Mom." Jeremy swore, giving his mother a tiny peck on the cheek.

"Well, we're gonna head to bed. So…see you in the morning?" Suggested the hockey fanatic, reaching for Jeremy's hand.

"Goodnight Emmalin. Night Jeremy…the door stays open and I'm going to check!" The Army Brat kissed each teenager on the cheek before they retreated up the stairs.

"I can't believe you got away that." Jeremy said amazed, as Emmalin pulled him into her bedroom by the hand. The nineteen year old made sure to leave the door wide open behind him.

"Me neither…but I'm glad." Emmalin smiled, slipping her shoes off. She couldn't believe her mother actually agreed. This would definetly not be happening if the General where home….crap, she hoped her father wouldn't find out about this.

"You're sure about this? Same bed?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow. Emmalin had never really slept in a bed with a guy before and he didn't want to pressure her into anything. Sure, she stayed with him in his hospital bed but there had been both of their parents watching them the whole time.

"Yeah. I want you here!" Emmalin laughed, pulling her shirt over her head slowly revealing a lacy red bra. Then she quickly slide out of her jeans, displaying a pair of matching underwear. She threw her discarded clothes into the hamper in her closet.

"Sexy panties? I'm starting to think you planned this. Are you seducing me, baby?" Jeremy teased, sliding an index finger under one of the straps of her lacy thong. Giving the semi-sheer fabric a little tug. He leaned down to kiss the hallow behind her ear tenderly. She'd never let him see her in her underwear before tonight. The nineteen year old couldn't help but think that it was well worth the wait.

"Ohh yes! So I plotted to get you to my bed…now can you unhook my bra, please?" She turned her back to the soldier and pulled her long tresses off her back. He deafly undid the red lace and slowly slide the straps down her shoulders. Emmalin tossed the bra in the hamper with her other clothes.

Standing on her tippy-toes, the Army Brat pulled Jeremy's grey 'Army' t-shirt over his head. With a smile she pulled his shirt on, the soft cotton fabric falling to her thighs.

"I'm pretty sure this is what your mom was picturing when she started getting hives." Jeremy teased, pulling her flush against him and kissing Emmalin roughly. His warm, moist tongue trailed across her rosy, full bottom lip asking for entrance. Their tongues tangled and Jeremy lifted Emmalin in his arms to make up for their noticeable height difference. The Army Brat's legs wrapped around the soldier's hips tightly as her arms entwined around his neck and stroked his hair softly.

"It's not like you've never seen my breasts before. She knows you've seen me topless." Emmalin pointed out as Jeremy set her down softly, her feet gently touching the floor. Emmalin tugged the metal clasp on Jeremy's jeans apart and pulled down the zipper. The faded blue denim slide down his legs, pooling at Jeremy's feet as he stepped out of them. Emmalin snapped the waistband of Jeremy's plaid boxers playfully.

"Remember that we promised to behave." Jeremy teased as he lifted Emmalin into her bed. Laying kisses across her forehead and cheeks as he slide in-between the sheets with her. Emmalin pulled her pink comforter over their bodies as Jeremy switched the light off.

"Are you reminding me or yourself?" The brunette teased, running her fingers through his buzz cut.

"Both." He placed soft kisses down her neck before starting another tongue war.

Emmalin cuddled deep into Jeremy's warm chest as his arms wrapped around her small frame. Her eyes began fluttering closed as Jeremy pulled her flush against his chest.

"Sweet dreams, baby." Jeremy whispered against Emmalin's ear, laying a soft kiss against the tip.

"Sweet dreams, I love you." Emmalin smiled as she began to drift to dream land.

"Love you more." Jeremy kissed the seventeen year old's forehead as he started to fall asleep himself.

The Holden intruder was captured in the morning with stolen medical insurance papers. It was a man who had been suffering with PTSD after his tour of Afghanistan, he had foregone treatment but had a slight relapse. He's currently in Mercer…in handcuffs…and they make sure that he takes his medication.

Major General Michael Holden continues to remain optimistic about Fort Marshall's fate. Claudia Joy had a severe breakout of hives in the middle of the night and had to run to the PX for calamine lotion…she does that when she panics. Emmalin and Jeremy DID behave…Claudia Joy got another batch of hives anyway. Life in Ft. Marshall probably wasn't considered the norm. for most Army Bases but it was home!

**Author's Note 2:** I plan on updating really, really soon! Stay tuned! And I have more companion pieces coming soon too :)


	21. Going to the Gyno's

All was silent, and possibly deadly. Worse than any horror movie ever produced. Except unlike the under budgeted Hollywood scare fests this time there was no blood. No blood, no guts, not piercing screams…yet. But here in a gynecologist's in Charleston, South Carolina anything was possible.

Sitting in the too sterile waiting room of an off post private practice was nerve wracking. Why was Emmalin Holden here? Well she didn't have a clue why. This was new unfamiliar territory, one that the Army Brat really didn't feel like exploring. Especially with her conservative, FRG Leader, Law Student, 'always takes the high road' mother, the one and only Claudia Joy Holden.

"So…why are we here, exactly? Do you have a yeast infection or something?" Emmalin Holden asked nervously. The uncomfortable plastic chair suddenly made the seventeen year old feel claustrophobic. Almost as if the white plastic armrests were going to randomly spring to life and constrict her throat.

"Emmalin this appointment isn't for me. It's for you sweetheart." Claudia Joy corrected gently, patting her daughter's knee comfortingly. She knew just how uncomfortable this must be.

"Me? What do I need at the gyno's?" The Army Brat asked shocked. There was absolutely no reason for her to be feeling this awkward, embarrassing, traumatic doctor's visit.

"You need a prescription." The FRG Leader gulped. She had hoped and prayed that this was something she and her daughter would never have to experience…but sadly here she was.

"For what?" the brunette asked, biting her nails frantically. God, what if her father suddenly showed up?

"For the pill…hmm maybe we should get you a mammogram while we're here though?" Claudia Joy suggested, trying her damnest to make this doctor's visit as pain free as possible.

"The pill? As in birth control?" Her amber eyes widened with surprise. The birth control pill? Was her mother serious?

"Yes." Claudia Joy struggled to say. Slow deep breaths she told herself, slow deep breaths.

"Why? Jeremy and I aren't having sex, Mom. I promise." Emmalin swore truthfully.

"I know." She nodded awkwardly. Thank God, she never had to go through this with her mother Claudia Joy thought.

"Then why are we here?" 

"Look Emmalin…he slept in your bed last night-" the Army Wife gulped

"We weren't naked though." the seventeen year old butted in.

"Yes but…things happen and I don't want you to end up pregnant. You've got so much to look forward to. Finishing high school and picking out a college. You're almost finished with your junior year and having a baby could ruin your future." Claudia Joy explained, reaching for her daughter's hand sympathetically.

"..." Emmalin made sure to emphasis her point. Jeremy hadn't even seen her naked really. Sure they fooled around, like most teenagers, but nothing close to sex.

"But one day you might decide too, and I'm by no means telling you to run off and have sex. I'd prefer if you waited until marriage…or until you hit menopause or something. But if you…and Jeremy…decide that 'one day' might be sooner than your wedding night, I don't want anything to happen."

"Are you going to tell Dad about this?" Horror filled her voice. Her father started 'cleaning' his gun collection whenever she and Jeremy held hands.

"NO! That is not a good idea. Whether you're having sex or not, that is not a good idea." Claudia Joy said frantically. There was absolutely no way to tell Michael this. Nope not a good idea.

"Thanks, Mom…for everything." Emmalin swallowed, biting her nails less frantically. Honestly, she figured, what could this hurt. You could never be too prepared…especially not after taking care of that screaming menace doll for two whole days. 

"Don't worry about it, sweetheart."

"Why'd you let Jeremy stay the night in my room last night?" the hockey enthusiast asked, curiously. Letting a boy stay in her room was definitely out of character for her mother. 

"Because you asked me if he could and I knew I could trust you, Emmalin."

"Then why'd you start getting hives? You only do that when you're about to have a panic attack."

"You're not mature enough for a baby, and I'm not mature enough for a daughter that shares a bed with her boyfriend." Claudia Joy laughed.

"Nothing happened…well a little happened."

"What exactly is 'a little'." 

"Cuddling and kissing, snuggling and spooning. Did you know spooning's really just cuddling? I didn't know that…it just sounds so dirty-ish." Emmalin saud scrunching her nose lightly.

"Yes, I knew what spooning was."

"Sooo…if spooning equals cuddling…then what's forking?" Curiosity killed the cat…and the Army Brat.

"How about you ask the Dr. that one?"

"It was nice. Jeremy staying the night." Emmalin blushed, smiling sweetly. She ran her hand through her hair nervously. Was that something she was supposed to tell her mother?

"You know that was a one time deal, right? And if your father ever found out about it, it'd be WWIII." Claudia Joy explained.

"Yeah, but it was nice. Waking up with someone's nice. All warm and snuggly. I can see why people would want to move in together." Her cheeks burned cherry red now.

"Marriage comes first. Then a baby in a baby carriage." Claudia Joy said fearfully. There was steps and orders for these steps. Love, marriage, house, baby. She preferred as little flexibility in this plan as absolutely necessary.

"Jeremy could've taken me to this…thing, you know." Emmalin said, biting her lips. Going to the gyno was embarrassing enough, but going with your mother? That was just awful. The seventeen year old would've been so much more relaxed if she had come with her boyfriend. She could've asked Jeremy anything and there wouldn't be nervous awkwardness afterwards.

"Would you rather he be here?"

"I don't know. Maybe. How am I supposed to talk to my mother about sex, and birth control and stuff. You started breaking out in hives when Jeremy and I slept in the same room."

"Well, just tell me what you would tell Jeremy if he was here."

"That I'm nervous."

"And what would he tell you?"

"Not to be. That this pill is 'just in case' and that it doesn't mean we have to do anything that I don't want too."

"And you would say?"

"That I've never been to the gyno's before. And then he would say something like he hasn't either."

"Lucky him. It's not much fun." Claudia Joy grimaced. Just thinking about it made her cringe…and this wasn't even her appointment.

"What happens…in there?"

"You put on this itchy, ugly paper dress and a doctor, sometimes a male doctor, comes in and takes a look."

"A male doctor? I don't want a male doctor? I won't even let Jeremy see me naked, I don't want some strange va-jay-jay obsessed pervert seeing… and poking my…special area." Emmalin started panicking.

"Don't worry I requested a female doctor, sweetheart."

"Alright, thanks…I… can we, never mention this ever again?"

"I think that's best. I'm taking you here to get the prescription and after you have the prescription you or Jeremy can get it filled at the pharmacy. We never have to go through this awkwardness again if you don't want to."

"Okay…it's just, we've never been able to talk about things like this."

"Well you're an adult now Emmalin. And you can always talk to me about anything. Anything at all, even if it makes me break out in hives. I will always be here to listen, sweetheart."

"Thanks, Mom."

"Emmalin Holden?" A nurse in blue scrubs called. Her thick southern accent filling the silent waiting room.

"Right here." Emmalin replied, hopping up from her chair quickly. The sooner she got this over with, the better.

"Follow me. Mom, you'll need to be present since she's a minor." The nurse, Loraine, explained.

"Alright." Claudia Joy exhaled.

The Holden's followed Loraine through the tiny private practice to a small examining room. Much more patient friendly than the waiting room, with it's soft yellow painted walls and little hanging plant decorations.

"Here's your paper dress. You can put your clothes over there and well need you to lose your underwear." Loraine breached. Explaining the procedures before taking her leave.

"Is that really necessary?" Emmalin gulped. This was as bad as she thought. Emmalin wasn't shy or in possession of low self-esteem, but like most teenage girls she didn't exactly feel comfortable flaunting her body. Especially not in an instance like this.

"The doctor doesn't have x-ray vision, honey." Loraine laughed, teasingly. She loved messing with first-timers. It was honestly her favorite part of the job.

"Hi. My name's Dr. Jones, how are we today?" A blonde doctor, no older than thirty-five, greeted cheerfully. Much more cheerful than any gynecologist should be allowed to be. I mean come on, they examine vaginas for a living! Seriously that had to take a toll on their personalities!

"Great thanks." Claudia Joy smiled friendly.

"Good. Now were here for a full examination and a birth control prescription, yes?" Dr. Jones asked, her fair hair swaying as she walked across the exam room.

"Yes." Emmalin gulped as the doctor approached her.

"Alright then, let's get started. Miss Holden, you're going to need to scoot down more…a little more…more….to the bottom of the table, you see the stirrups, that's where your feet should be." Dr. Jones guided. She was used to nervous patients. Slowly Emmalin moved inch by inch down the paper lined table. The Army Brat pulled her legs up onto the table, grimacing she placed her feet in the cold metal stirrups.

"Miss Holden, it'd be extremely helpful if you opened your knees." Dr. Jones remarked teasingly at the Army Brat's embarrassment. 

"Ohh. I see, you're still a virgin. Do you plan on having sex soon?" And so the parade of awkward sexual questions began.

"I umm…it's…" And so followed the uncomfortable answers.

"Do you use tampons?"

"Umh…yeah."

"We rarely get military families here. Most prefer Mercer, so that they don't have to drive off post." Dr. Jones commented.

"It was in our best interest to seek a OB/GYN off base. Now we'd prefer not to have this visit go through our insurance, so we'd like to pay in cash?" Claudia Joy explained.

"Why not through your insurance?" Dr. Jones rarely had people pay in cash.

"My husband runs through our insurance bill every month, and seeing a birth control prescription on the list won't be good for my daughter's boyfriend's health." The law student laughed. Emmalin wanted to roll up and die at her mother's joke.

"Miss Holden…you're clenching your knees again. Almost done!" the Dr. said helpfully.

"I…umm…hurry, please?" Emmalin requested. Using all her self-restraint not to dash off the table, steal her clothes and run for the door.

"All done. See that wasn't nearly as bad as you thought, right? Now let's discuss our options." Dr. Jones smiled.

"Our options? It wasn't your vagina being poked!" Emmalin said, flabbergasted. She had spent the last ten minutes being poked and prodded by some strangers hands and this doctor thought this was about 'them'?

"Emmalin!" Claudia Joy scolded. It was unlike the seventeen year old to be so rude.

"It wasn't!" Emmalin insisted.

"I understand! But really, proper birth control selection is as much a doctor's priority as a patients." The blonde interrupted.

"What do you suggest?" Claudia Joy asked.

"Considering her age and menstrual cycle, I'm going to recommend a form of the pill. The Patch and DepoShot might not agree with her unsteady hormonal level at this point. And I doubt she'd be comfortable with anything like the NuvaRing."

"Will I have to take it everyday?" Realizing that her remembering to take a little white pill at the same time every day might turn out to be pretty challenging.

"Yes but on the upside, you'll only menstruate every three months!" Dr. Jones smiled, as if this were her announcing the Nobel Peace Prize recipient.

"Ohh, exciting!" the brunette said sarcasm filling her voice.

"Emmalin." Claudia Joy sighed.

"Sorry…it's just I'm really not comfortable with this…any of this." She bit her nails roughly. One of her worst nervous habits. She couldn't even remember the last time she had bit her nails. Thinking back it was right before she and Jeremy had gotten together.

"That's alright. I've had way worse than teenagers. I once had a twenty-seven year old throw a lamp at me because I asked her to open her legs wider." The Doctor laughed, writing on a small white note before passing her newly written prescription to Claudia Joy.

Thankfully no lamps where thrown in that office, despite the discomfort that shrouded the room. Even more thankfully Michael Holden was left in the dark about this little visit. The little white pills would be ready by Monday and the Army Brat had know idea what would follow after that.


	22. Another Addition

**Author's Note**: Sorry for the delay! In regards to **Sam4life** 's review about any upcoming sex related chapters, I have written separate companion fics that have been posted as one-shots :) feel free to read and review. The first one **'Take Me' **is the companion piece to an very upcoming chapter called 'Freezing Cold Feet' and **'Eighteen' **is the companion piece to a later chapter called 'I'll Always Be Your Princess', both are rated 'M' and contain the 'unseen' moments of my story. They've been posted for awhile and I've been told that they turned out pretty decent ;)

**Disclaimer**: I own nothing :'(

Taking a deep breath, Denise Sherwood walked into her living room. The area in her home where her husband and son where, accompanied by her son's girlfriend. Frank sat on one indigo couch and Jeremy and Emmalin occupied the slightly smaller one. They were chatting casually, discussing Jeremy's new responsibilities at work since his promotion to Specialist. He looked so happy, his fingers intertwined with Emmalin's. She sighed it was now or never.

"Jeremy, Emmalin. Hey, thanks for stopping by." Denise smiled, wrapping her son in a tight hug. She kissed his cheek gently, feeling a light coating of stubble on his face. Smiling the Army Wife moved on to hug Emmalin.

"Hey Mom." Jeremy chuckled, reaching for his seventeen year old girlfriend's hand again. He wondered briefly why his parents had asked him here, as he gently stroked the back of Emmalin's smooth hand.

"It's so good to see you. I wish you'd visit more. I'm so lonely since you moved into the barracks full time." Denise confessed. It was true, she missed her son terribly, he was her baby after all. It had been at least two weeks since his last visit. Honestly he lived just across post, he didn't have five minutes to stop by and visit his mother? Geez, she only spent thirty hours in labor to bring him into this world!

"I'll try, but I'm busy at work." Jeremy apologized.

"You always make time for Emmalin." Denise accused, raising an eyebrow. She winked at the Army Brat teasingly.

"You're right. I'll visit more, 'kay." the Specialist promised. He stroked Emmalin's hair gently as she scooted closer into his chest. The nineteen year old kissed his girlfriend's forehead lovingly.

"I'd love that! And umm…I have really important news to tell you." Denise said, nervously. She reached for her husband's hand seeking comfort. What if Jeremy wasn't happy for her? His opinion meant a lot to her and if he wasn't happy then she didn't know what she'd do.

"What is it? Is everything all right?" Jeremy's deep baritone voice was now filled with worry. It wasn't like his parents to be so cryptic like this. Were they sick? Did somebody die?

"Yeah. It's not bad news…though I nearly had a heart attack when I heard it." Frank sighed nervously. They had decided it was best to tell their son first and he just for the life of him couldn't figure out how. He could lead hundreds of soldier into combat but didn't know how to communicate to save his life.

"What is it?" Jeremy repeated. Emmalin could feel Jeremy's nerves through his hand. She wrapped her arms around him to reassure him, rubbing his back sweetly. What ever it was, they'd get through it.

"Jeremy…remember when you were little and you wrote that letter to Santa Clause? You said you wanted a little brother and a dog, remember?" Denise asked, fidgeting slightly.

"Yeah. I was like five." the Specialist chuckled, not quite sure where his mother was going with this. He'd rather get back to that serious news.

"Well congratulations, sweetheart, you must've finally managed to get off the naughty list!" Denise smiled enthusiastically, patting her husband's knee.

"What?" He glanced into Emmalin's eyes to see if she had any idea what was happening. Her amber eyes reflected the confusion in his own. Jeremy's grip on the brunette's hand tightened.

"I'm pregnant!" Denise smiled. Wow. That felt good to admit. She watched her son carefully for his reaction.

"With a baby?" Jeremy gasped. Shock covering his face. Weren't his parents a little to old for a baby?

"Of course it's with a baby!" Emmalin laughed, kissing his cheek. She had been worried there for a second that one of the Sherwood's might be hurt. She smiled with relief. Wow. A baby. Jeremy was getting a little brother or sister.

"You mean you and Dad are having a baby?" Jeremy asked, still shocked. Emmalin rubbed his tense shoulder comfortingly. Slowly the hard cords of muscle in his shoulder relaxed.

"Yes! Are you happy for us?" The EMT asked taking in a deep gulp of air. It would break her heart if Jeremy wasn't happy for them. But Emmalin was happy and that was a great sign.

"Of course. I'm just a little shocked…I mean, you guys are old. People my age are having kids." Jeremy laughed, his hand moving to rest on Emmalin's knee. In a few years they'd hopefully be married with a baby of their own.

"You had better not be having a baby any time soon boy. Especially out of wedlock." the Colonel muttered, throwing accusing glances at Emmalin's stomach. The seventeen year old just laughed and said that wasn't even an issue. And it wasn't, they hadn't even had sex yet. They had only shared the same bed once. They had been dating five months and Emmalin wasn't quite ready to go there yet, but when she was they had a collection of birth control packets waiting for them in Emmalin's nightstand. Jeremy was willing to wait as long as it took, she was worth it.

"Okay I am not old! Emmalin, tell him I'm not old." Denise laughed teased. She was NOT old…and even if she was (which she wasn't) she looked a good ten years younger than she really was.

"She's not. Now the Colonel…" Emmalin trailed off teasingly, stroking Jeremy's hair.

"Hey!" Frank argued. He wasn't old…but he was admittingly getting there.

The rest of the night continued on in this manner. Denise and Frank were so relieved that their son was happy for them…even though he thought they were 'old'. In a few short months there would be another addition to the Sherwood family.


	23. Trouble on the Home Front

Today had been an amazing day for Major General Michael Holden. The kind of day he hadn't had in a while. Don't get it wrong, he lived a wonderful life. He had a beautiful wife and daughter who he loved very much. But today he got to go fishing! He had finally managed to snag a day off to head up to Lake Greenwood.

It had been amazing. He had caught trout and salmon the length of his forearm! Ohh, it was a beautiful catch. He wished he had time for fishing like that everyday. Nothing could get him down after something like that… or almost nothing.

Pulling into his driveway as heavy rain began to pelt from the sky, Michael smiled. It had waiting to pour until he had gotten home. Ohh yeah, it was his lucky day alright.

"Claudia Joy? I'm home!" Michael called as he stepped into his warm house, just in time to avoid the down pour. He smelled sweet home cooking and followed the drool-worthy scent to the kitchen, where he found his amazing wife pouring over a law school text book. His blue eyes ghosting over her handy work, which was nothing sort of phenomenal…as usual.

"Hi sweetheart. How'd it go?" Claudia Joy smiled, glancing up from her school work. She put down her neon yellow highlighter to give her husband of twenty years a 'welcome home' peck on the cheek.

"Fantastic! Nothing like the great outdoors. You almost finished with your law paper?" the General asked, stirring their dinner while the FRG Leader picked up her highlighter again.

"Not quite but I'm getting there." CJ laughed, as she watched the Post Commander approach the white stair banister.

"Well I'll leave it too then. I'm gonna go say 'hi' to Emmalin real quick, honey." Michael chuckled, stepping up the stairs two at a time.

"She's in her room, I think." Claudia Joy called after him.

"Emmalin?" the Father asked, rapping on her open door lightly.

"Oh. Hey Dad. You done fishing?" Emmalin asked as her father entered her pink bedroom.

"Just as it started raining. How was your day, Em?" The General questioned, kissing the top of his remaining daughter's head. He sat on the edge of her green flowered bedspread.

"Pretty good. Jeremy and I went to the beach." the Army Brat smiled. Today Jeremy taught her how to surf, or at least tried to. Turns out she wasn't just clumsy on land but on sea too. But either ways it had been a blast.

"Hey kiddo there's something on your floor right here. Let me get it." the General leaned down to pick the shiny silver container off his daughter's otherwise spotless floor. Turning the silver pack in his hands he realized what he originally thought was trash was a pill holder, a birth control holder, "Emmalin Jane Holden, what the hell are you doing with birth control pills? I swear to God I'll kill that Sherwood boy! He's having sex with a minor, I'm sending his sorry ass straight to prison!" His voice was rising, that blue vein in his forehead throbbing. How the hell could this be happening. His daughter, his little girl, was being ravaged by some asshole?

"Dad…no! It's…I swear we aren't having sex!" Emmalin swore, as her father leapt from the bed, throwing accusations at her. The seventeen didn't have a clue what to do, her father had never talked to her like this before.

"Don't give me that! You're covering for him. You spread your legs like a little whore and now you're covering for his sorry ass!" Michael yelled throwing Emmalin's hamper on to her previously clean floor, searching for a single item of Jeremy Sherwood's clothing. Some evidence to support his theory.

"Dad! We haven't used those. He's never touched me!" the seventeen year old promised, tears forming in her eyes as her father continued to ransack her room and yell.

"Bull! You want to act like a little whore?" Michael shouted angrily. With one hand he pulled the contents of Emmalin's dresser open. Anything, everything. If he found so much as single hair of Special Sherwood's he would have the soldier locked up for pedophilia.

"I…I'm not." Emmalin cried, as the General continued to trash everything like a crazy person.

"Claudia Joy!" Michael called, the birth control pills in hand as he trekked down the stairs in search of his wife. He wanted answers.

Seeing her father rush from the room, the seventeen year old saw her opportunity. Without a second thought, she climbed down from her open window. The cool wet air and rain hitting her body roughly. One destination on her mind.

Soaked to the bone, the Army Brat pounded on the light cherry wood door. She hoped he'd be here, she wouldn't have anywhere to go if he wasn't. The barracks had an over-crowding issue due to a flooding of one wing so he'd returned to living with his parents full time. Where else could he be?

Hearing the light rap on his front door, Specialist Jeremy Sherwood hurried to it. Whoever it was out there was probably soaked to the bone! Throwing open the wooden door, words couldn't describe his shock at feeling a soaking wet body throwing itself into his arms. Recovering from his brief surprise, he pulled his sobbing girlfriend into his chest and carried her into the house. What the hell happened?


	24. As Open As A McDonald's

Author's Note: Sorry, sorry, sorry for the delay! My writer's block kinda got severe! But here it is…and I must say I'm kinda proud of the final result! Every really seemed to love the last chapter and I wanted this one to be that 'Father-Daughter' moment I had been asked to put in a few reviews ago :)

Disclaimer: I own nothing :'(

Wordlessly Jeremy Sherwood tossed Emmalin Holden's soaking clothes into the dryer, turning to look at her as he started the appliance. She sat on the washer machine in only his mother's thin pink robe, small tears trailed down her rosy cheeks.

"Now that you're all dry, how's about you tell me what happened, baby?" Jeremy asked softly, wiping away the Army Brat's tears and laying gentle kisses on her full pink lips, "You show up on my doorstep soaked to the bone and crying. Now who the hell do I need to beat the crap outta for making my girl cry?". The Specialist stroked her long damp hair soothingly as she cried against his chest.

"The Gen…the General found my birth control pills. He started yelling and throwing things…and he called me a little whore and threatened to have you arrested, Jeremy." Emmalin stuttered between sobs, burying herself into her boyfriend's strong chest. She relaxed as she felt his arms wrap around her. His warm, muscled body quickly easing the chill that had engulfed her outside.

"But we've never-" Jeremy began, raising an eyebrow.

"I tried to tell him that, but he said I was just covering for you…I get why he doesn't believe me though…because if we were having sex I would lie for you." the seventeen year old interrupted, mumbling against the soldier's soft cotton shirt.

"Shhh, shh…It's gonna be okay. You can stay here for the night until things cool down and then we'll decide what to do tomorrow okay, baby?" He rubbed the small of her back and laid tiny kisses across her forehead.

"Will you share the bed with me?" Emmalin asked, peeking up from his chest, a small smile tugging at her pretty lips. God, he loved seeing her smile.

"Half of it's got your name on it, beautiful." Jeremy chuckled, pulling her off her seat on the washer machine and into his arms. He gripped her hand firmly and led her up the stairs to his room.

"I love you." Emmalin whispered as she slid between Jeremy's bed sheets. She smiled as Jeremy kissed her shoulder, taking his place in bed next to her.

"I love you more. Don't worry, we'll get things straightened out." Jeremy promised, pulling the seventeen year old flush against his warm body, holding her close.

-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&Riley&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

"Your phone's ringing." Jeremy pointed out, lying on the couch lazily with his girlfriend pillowed softly on his chest. The two had been cuddling for hours and their kissing and "lovey" eyes had been enough to almost erase the bad conversation waiting for the seventeen year old back home.

"I know. It's my dad." The Army Brat sighed, leaving the pink cell phone abandoned on the glass coffee table, she cuddled deeper into her boyfriend's arms and resumed her focus on the hockey game playing on the television screen.

"Answer it then, Emmalin." Jeremy prodded. He didn't want to deal with this any more than she did but it's not like the seventeen year old could avoid her father forever. It had already been a day, so the solider figured he had probably had time to cool down. Emmalin had snuck out her window last night and her parents where probably worried. Even though Jeremy phoned Claudia Joy last night after the seventeen year old had fallen asleep to let her know that she was safe, that probably didn't reassure her father any. God, he probably thought she was on her knees blowing him right now, and imagining that the General thought that low off Emmalin pissed Jeremy off beyond belief.

"I'm not ready yet…I don't know what to say and I don't want him to yell at me anymore. I'm scared." The brunette confessed, inhaling the Specialist's masculine sandalwood scent. She was dressed in a pair of his old sweats and one of his soft cotton shirts, both drowning her petite body in a ocean of fabric.

"You're gonna have to talk to him sooner or later, baby." Specialist Sherwood sighed, running his hand through Emmalin's long dark hair.

"I pick later." She giggled, leaning forward to kiss Jeremy's cheek teasingly. The seventeen year old would rather stay here forever with her love than return home and have an awkward discussion about sex, which she wasn't even having, with her father.

"Stay as long as you want. I feel kinda guilty for admitting this, but I love having you all to myself." Jeremy chuckled, pulling the amber eyed beauty close to him for a rough kiss, tongue included.

"The Colonel's watching us like hawks." Frank had barely left the couple alone since Emmalin had gotten there. The man was stealthy and tended to pop out when they least expected it. He was a man on a mission, and that mission was no pedophilia in his house. The blonde had even surprised Jeremy in the shower that morning, pulling back the curtain suddenly to make sure his nineteen year old son was all alone….though giving his son a heart attack wasn't part of his intention.

"You know…I don't see the Colonel anywhere. Looks like we finally got some alone time." Jeremy smiled, peppering soft kisses against Emmalin's shoulder. His warm calloused hand pulled at the neckline of Emmalin's shirt, exposing more skin to lay his lips upon.

"Good." She giggled under his sweet administrations, realizing there was no where else she'd rather be.

-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-Riley-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-&-

"Coming!" Jeremy called as he heard the doorbell ring.

"Good afternoon, Specialist Sherwood." General Michael Holden said as the door opened.

"Ah…General Holden. Welcome, come in, Sir." the solider saluted his superior. Moving aside to let the Post Commander into his home.

"I know my daughter's staying here with you." the blue eyed General sighed, he was just the tiniest bit nervous. He hadn't meant to lose his temper and go off on his daughter like that, it just sort of happened. Sure they butted heads sometimes but that's only because they loved each other.

"Yes, Sir, that's correct…" Jeremy trailed off awkwardly.

"Can I have a word with her?" Michael asked, raising an eyebrow. Great, the boyfriend, he thought bitterly. The one trying to worm his way into his baby girl's pants.

"She's upstairs changing, Sir." Jeremy said formaly, trying not to lose his temper and blow up at the man. He could just picture his infamous temper getting out of hand and throwing a punch at the Post Commander, that would earn him a nice little nine month deployment in the worst corner of hell the General could ship him off to.

"I can wait. Until she gets down here, you and I should have a chat." Michael took charge, walking toward a couch. Jeremy took the opposite one, figuring it was probably a good idea to have a table between them in case things got out of hand.

"Of course, Sir." the Specialist agreed. The man wanted to talk, well then fine, he would listen.

"I don't like you." Michael said bluntly. He hated the man who was stealing his daughter's heart. He knew just how much damage Jeremy could do with Emmalin's heart in his hands. The General would never forgive himself if the solider broke her.

"I know." Jeremy almost had to laugh. It wasn't like Michael Holden's disdain for him was some secret.

"It's nothing personal, Jeremy. I liked you a lot after you straightened up and you're a great soldier, and you're even my best friend's son, it's just I'd hate anybody who was dating my daughter." Michael apologized. He felt guilty, hating the soldier who hadn't done anything wrong, but it was his duty as a father. Jeremy was a great soldier, one with lots of potential, and the General would be really fond of him…if he wasn't dating his (not so) little girl. They even had stuff in common; they loved hunting and fishing, felt a duty to serve, but even if they had the same fingerprints they would never be able to get along, not as long as there was a potential of heartache for Emmalin.

"Sir, I understand." Truth was he really did. If he had a daughter, he was the last guy he would want dating her. Hell if Jeremy was Michael, he would've kicked his own ass.

"Good, because nothing you do is going to change that. You could go to college, become General of the Army, or even become President and I'm still not gonna like you. There's nobody that I'll ever find good enough for my little girl, Emmalin's the only one I have left."

"I know I'm not good enough for her and I know she deserves better. But I love her, and I also know that me loving her isn't good enough to change your mind. But I do love Emmalin, more than anything and that's why it makes me so angry when she comes knocking on my door balling her eyes out because of something you said." Damn it, there he went. All anyone could hope for now was that the two grown men didn't start beating each other.

"I lost my temper, but don't act all innocent. She wouldn't even have gotten those pills if it weren't for you. You're almost twenty, you think I don't know what you're after Sherwood. You want one thing and if I have anything to do with it, you'll be walking away empty handed." Michael accused, hostility in his voice.

"I've never once asked her to do anything. I'm here on her terms and no one else's. And I don't have a damn thing to do with those birth control pills, you're _wife_ sprung that on her. You're making it out like I held a gun to Emmalin's head and made her go to the fucking gyno." Jeremy growled, feeling his blood boil. He didn't even care that this man was a General, or even the Post Commander. No one was treating _his_ Emmalin that way.

"Exactly, my wife took her! Claudia Joy doesn't want Emmalin jeopardizing her future for someone, especially not someone who's not worth her time."

"Emmalin's not in 'jeopardy', I treat her just fine. And she's not spreading like the 'little whore' you accused her of being. She cant get pregnant if she's not open for business." His deep voice had a rough hostile edge to it.

"I'm sure she'd be as open as a McDonald's if you had your way, right Specialist?" Michael argued. He knew exactly what was on an almost-twenty-year-old's mind.

"Listen here, I'm willing to wait as long as she wants, no questions or strings attached. It's gonna happen when she's ready for it and not a damn minute sooner, you got that? But even if we did decide to have sex, I'll kick your ass before I let you talk to her that way again, _Sir_." the word 'sir' dripped from his lips like venom. Chain of Command could go to hell, he was setting this man straight once and for all.

"…Dad." Emmalin herself interrupted from the top of the staircase, glancing at the angry exchange between her father and boyfriend. Her amber eyes drifted back and forth between the two pissed off men, she could feel the deep tension from her place on the stairs.

"I'll just…ugh, wait in the kitchen. Good afternoon, General." Jeremy excused himself. Rising from his place at the couch and walking in the direction of the aforementioned room, sending Emmalin a look on his way out that said to come get him if she needed him.

"We need to talk. It's been three days and you haven't answered any of my calls." Michael said gently, the aggravation and harsh tone that he used to address Jeremy was long gone. He looked regretfully at his seventeen year old.

"I know." the brunette agreed, not sure of what else to say.

"I'm sorry I lost my temper, but Emmalin, you're my little Princess and the thought of you being violated drives me crazy. It's time you come home." Michael sighed, his hands fidgeting nervously in his lap. He seemed incapable of looking the hockey player in the eyes.

"I'm not having sex, and Jeremy hasn't ever done anything to 'violate' me, he'd never do anything to me that I didn't want him to." She huffed. The Army Brat knew better, Jeremy would never treat her that way.

"I know. When I went downstairs to talk to your mother, she pointed out that all the pills where still in the case. And she said she made you get the prescription." Michael admitted, shamefully. He had made some pretty heavy accusations three days ago and he would honestly understand if she had trouble accepting his apology.

"Yeah." Of course she knew this already.

"I didn't mean anything I said, Em. I was just angry." the General frowned.

"Oh, so you didn't mean to call me a little whore and threaten to send my boyfriend to prison? I must have just misunderstood, how stupid of me!"

"Emmalin, come on. I never meant to call you a whore." He grimaced at his daughter's sarcasm.

"And sending Jeremy to prison?" She raised a brow, tapping her foot as she waited to hear her father's response.

"Okay…so I meant that one. But Emmalin, come on you can do so much better than Sherwood. Don't waste your time on that boy." the man sighed, wishing that she could see.

"No I cant find anyone better than Jeremy! I love him and he loves me. Jeremy makes me happier than I've ever been before. And one day, not now, but one day we are going to have sex, live together, and have kids. It's called _marriage_." Emmalin insisted, putting extra emphasis on the word marriage.

"Emmalin, sweetheart, you're only seventeen. You don't have any clue what love is yet. And I know it feels like Jeremy is the only person out there but chances are you're going to break up before you hit the aisle." Michael said gently.

"No. Jeremy is the one I'm gonna marry, Dad. I promise. I just know. And I do love him. So much." Emmalin laughed, without a doubt in her mind she knew that she would marry Jeremy Sherwood, and also that he would make her very, very happy.

"I don't like him. I think there's got to be someone better."

"Dad, you've hated all my boyfriends. And there's no one more perfect for me than Jeremy Sherwood." Emmalin sighed, they had been over this before. Emmalin and Michael just couldn't seem to agree on who would be 'worthy' of her. Emmalin was all-in-favor of Jeremy and Michael was holding on to the notion of no one.

"Of course I hate all your boyfriends Emmalin. They're all trying to steal my little girl." Michael said regretfully, ruing the fact that he would one day have to give his precious little girl away.

"Jeremy's not trying to steal me out from under you and Mom. I promise, he's really good at sharing." Emmalin laughed, realizing that her father might be jealous of all the time she had been devoting to her boyfriend.

"You _love_ him. Next thing I know you're going to leave us. You'll be all grown up soon. And you won't need 'Daddy' anymore." He was using the 'L' word loosely.

"I'm always going to need you and Mom. Do you really think Jeremy is capable of doing my laundry and making me chicken soup when I'm sick? Well he's not!"

"I wish you were still in kindergarten. We'd hold hands on your way to school and you'd tell me what your favorite color is and what you want to be when you grow up. I wish I could give you caffeine and cigarette's and keep you little forever." A few cartons of cigarettes and a carafe of Starbucks a day and he'd make sure she didn't grow another inch.

"It's a little late to stunt my growth, Dad." the Hockey Player giggled.

"What a shame. Now what do you say we get your stuff together and head on home?" Michael suggested hopefully.

"Can Jeremy come to dinner tonight?" She asked, hope filling her eyes.

"Ugh, why?" Well that didn't mean 'no'.

"Because I love him." Emmalin smiled.

"Alright, fine. If he makes you happy." He didn't have it in him to turn down her request.

"Thanks, Dad." the Army Brat laughed, leaving in search of her boyfriend.

Michael sighed realizing that he was facing a loosing battle with Jeremy Sherwood. Maybe he should just throw in the towel and rent a wedding band already? Because it sure seemed like the Specialist was being dealt all the right cards.


	25. Not Something You Learn From A Textbook

Amber eyes drifted from the small black print of her Anatomy textbook to her companion, Private Jeremy Sherwood. The two were currently occupying the couch in the Holden living room, with Emmalin lying on her stomach with her side resting close against her boyfriend.

"You're staring at me." Jeremy accused, stroking his girlfriend's cheek softly

"I was worried you feel asleep." The seventeen year old giggled. "On you? Never." He promised, kissing her forehead. "I hate Anatomy. If I don't pass this test with flying colors, my grade will drop to a B and then my parents will make me quit hockey." The Army Brat pouted. "You don't hate Anatomy, you hate the way you're being taught Anatomy." Jeremy explained. He'd graduated high school with a 4.0 and Valedictorian, but that didn't mean his tools of learning where conventional. Only the best got accepted to West Point.

"Not quite sure I understand what you mean Jeremy." Emmalin smiled, her fingers stroking his dog tags affectionately. "Baby, that textbook is what you hate. You can't learn about something physical through a book, you need to learn firsthand." Jeremy chuckled, twirling a lock of her long dark hair around his index finger. "Firsthand?" Ohhh, she understood now...he was frisky. Not that Jeremy being frisky was anything out of the normal. Though Emmalin really had no room to talk, she was pretty notorious for randomly reaching over and smacking or squeezing his butt...she was even more notorious for getting caught in the act by his father, Colonel Sherwood. "Yeah, I guarantee that if I taught you Anatomy you'd love it... and you'd pass that test." His husky breath tickled her ear. She knew it would go no farther than a tug of a belt loop or a pat on the ass, despite how badly they both wanted each other.

"Well then, what's taking you so long Professor? Let's start the lesson." The Army Brat decided to play along. What could it hurt? He graduated top in his class, apparently Jeremy had done something right back in high school. And besides all of this reading was giving her a headache, it was break time. "Well unbutton your blouse and we'll begin." He chuckled, adjusting their positions so he was resting between her long, slender legs. Emmalin was more than happy to comply, sliding apart the first four buttons of her shirt, leaving the rest for Jeremy, which he undid wordlessly. Large warm hands pulled the neckline of her top open making the fabric slip down her shoulder and reveal a red lacy bra that left little of her ta-ta's to the imagination. The Private pulled the shirt away slowly. His skilled fingers pulled down one of Emmalin's bra straps tugging the red string off her shoulders and down to her elbow, before moving on to the next one. His arms wrapped around her torso to skillfully undo the clasp, he pulled the red lace away from her curvy form. Jeremy's warm lips kissed the hallow behind Emmalin's ear. His rough, calloused fingers pulled her long hair out of the way and off of her creamy sunkissed skin. "This is your neck, and it's primary function is to support your head. The muscle that's mainly responsible for that is the sternomatoid muscle." He whispered against the side of her neck. So close that she could feel his Adam's Apple vibrate against her collar. His lips kissed down her throat gently, licking and sucking the tender skin. She knew from past experiences that her boyfriend was a big fan of leaving dark burgundy hickeys everywhere. Emmalin wondered if maybe this was how that whole vampire trend had gotten started? "Your shoulder muscles right here are called deltoids, they're the rounded contours. Their main purpose is to move your arms." Jeremy's long fingers danced over her shoulders, his trail of sensual kisses following not long after. A moan tore from her rosy lips as she felt his moist tongue slide down her shoulder.

"And your chest captivity here has lots and lot of muscles, baby. Like the pectoralis major, the fan shaped muscle on the chest. Your's aren't very visible under your breasts." The Military Man chuckle huskily against her collar, planting a kiss or two while there.

"Then show me your's, Jeremy." Emmalin tugged the soldier's blue shirt over his head, quickly freeing him of the cotton tee. Jeremy's dog tags jingled as they hit his chest. Her fingers and lips glided across the soldier's well developed pecs. Her lips sucking on one of his cocoa colored nipples lightly. "My personal favorite, your breasts or mammary gland, aren't made of any muscle. They're milk producing glands and a complex network of branching ducts which exit from the nipple. One day when you have kids, they'll latch onto the nipple for breastfeeding." Jeremy explained, his lips suckling her unclothed breasts, "And the pigmented area surroundings the nipple is called the areola and they contain these small sweat glands that give off moisture to lube you up before breastfeeding... But until then your tits are mostly here for my entertainment." His tongue glided over the sensitive bud, before he slid the whole nipple into his warm mouth. Emmalin moaned softly and arched into Jeremy's lips, her fingers running through his short hair. He always knew just what to do to drive her wild. If she hadn't been lying down her knees would've buckled.

"And what about these?" Emmalin asked, one hand gliding down Jeremy's muscled arm. Tracing the firm tan skin there.

"Those are my triceps brachii, or just triceps, below my deltoids." Her fingers danced on the muscle there as he explained. "And your Adam's Apple, Jeremy?" Soft, pink lips suckled the bump on his throat, a dark hickey quickly forming. "Not a muscle, thyroid cartilage." Jeremy groaned, fingers tangling in Emmalin's long locks pulling her as close as possible. "And your forearms?" Her melodious voice whispered against his cheek, leaving a sweet kiss there. "Brachioradialis. They're what I use to hold onto you, baby." the Soldier teased, capturing her lips with his. Jeremy gently licked the seventeen year old's bottom lip, a heated battle of tongues ensuing shortly after. "Hmm...you know Professor Sherwood poking people in the thigh is hardly appropriate behavior for the classroom." Emmalin teased, looking down at the very, very obvious tent in Jeremy's jeans. Her curiosity was set ablaze, she hadn't actually ever seen one before. Well she knew Jeremy was, erm, perfectly healthy because she had felt them before...err well sat on them before. "Well sorry." Jeremy teased, kissing the inside of her arm. He groaned when Emmalin began toggling the zipper to his jeans, pulling the metal slider up and down repeatedly. Her slender fingers rubbed him through the light blue denim, this was the farthest she had ever gone before. "Mmmhh someone's a happy trooper but he had better not deploy his little soldiers!" Emmalin laughed, kissing Jeremy's cheek. "Ha ha ha. Very funny, baby." The Private said, sarcasm dripping from his voice.

"Ohh I'm just getting started...you like me, you really like me!", Emmalin laughed, pulling on the rim of his green boxers which peeked out of the top of his jeans "Or how about, Is that a roll of quarter in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?" The Army Brat punned, kissing her boyfriend's lips. That was just another day with Jeremy and Emmalin. Thanks to Jeremy, Emmalin passed her test with flying colors. Despite playing teacher, Jeremy also learned something from their little study session...that for a virgin, Emmalin had a surprisingly large arsenal of boner jokes at her disposal.


	26. Freezing Cold Feet

pDisclaimer: I own nothing :"(

pAuthor's Note: I'm soooo sorry for the delay! I was on vacation and forgot to bring my laptop with me. But here it is! And remember if you'd like "the night before" you can read about it in my fic called "Take Me" rated M.

Jeremy Sherwood was completely entranced by her, the beautiful girl sleeping next to him. His strong arms were wrapped around Emmalin Holden, pulling her nude body flush against him. The Army Brat was cuddling deep into his chest, Jeremy could feel her sleeping form's gently breathing against his shoulder.

Every part of the seventeen year old's glorious body was exposed to the soldier. This girl, his girl, was truly the most beautiful thing he had ever laid eyes on.

Long, calloused fingers gently stroked the soft naked body that Jeremy was currently sharing his mattress with. His fingertips brushed down the column of Emmalin's slender neck, covered in deep burgundy hickeys from last night. Love marks that showed just how much she was his. Last night before he claimed Emmalin's virgin innocence, he had given her his dog tags, sliding them over her swan-like neck. The shiny metal ends were currently nestled in her plentiful cleavage. He chuckled thinking that they looked better on her than they ever did on him.

Jeremy's fingers continued to wander. Traveling down her smooth flat belly, gently caressing her slender hip, stroking her long sexy legs. His rough calloused hands sweetly cupped her warm full bossum, also covered in his violet hickeys. Despite his worry of waking his sleeping girlfriend, the soldier gently kissed along her beautiful sun-kissed skin. God, he loved her. He didn't think he could ever love anybody else like this.

"Mmmh." the seventeen year old sleep-moaned, happily. Her amber eyes slowly fluttered open, staring up into his chocolate orbs lovingly. Emmalin smiled at her boyfriend. The nineteen year old stroked her long dark hair, the sleep/sex tousled strands sliding through his fingers like silk.

"Morning baby." Specialist Sherwood smiled, kissing the top of the brunette's head. His arms wrapped around her even tighter. Last night was abso-fucking-loutely the best, most fantastic moment of his life so far. In all his nineteen years he had sex more than a few times. Jeremy Sherwood was a lady's man that had previously preffered one-night-stands to relationships. God, there had been so many women he'd slept with, so many, and after last night he couldn't remember a damn one of them. Making love with Emmalin was THAT good...no amazing, no it was incredible or fantastic. It was like everytime before he had been having sex the wrong way or something, fucking whoever came his way, and then suddenly he makes love with Emmalin and it's as if some giant instruction manual got thrown his way, where the prolouge tells him it's because he wasn't making love with the girl he loved. Sure it was illegal, she was only seventeen afterall, but he didn't think he could stop, because Emmalin was addicting like that.

"Morning. Did you sleep well, Jeremy?" She asked kissing him softly on the lips. Her rosy, slightly swollen lips, brushing against his cheek lovingly. Slowly her hand ran up and down his chest, stroking the soldier's scars and tattoo.

Suddenly, Emmalin's wide amber eyes filled with newly shed tears. Blushing she tried to wipe the salty trails away before her boyfriend could notice.

"Better than ever." Jeremy chuckled, before horror filled his eyes. He watched salt water trails spill down Emmalin's cheeks slowly, "Are you crying? God, don't cry…please don't cry, baby. I'm sorry. If you aren't ready, we don't ever have to do it again. Don't cry." It was his worst fear confirmed. She had sex with him before she was ready and it fucked up their relationship. What if she regretted him now? Did she want to break up? A thousand and one things ran through Jeremy's mind all at the speed of a second and a half.

"I'm not crying cause I'm sad, I'm crying cause I'm happy. Last night was incredible. I'm so happy, Jeremy." Emmalin laughed happily, her hand reaching up to stroke Jeremy's soft cheek. Emmalin couldn't remember ever being so happy. A smile dangled from her lips when she felt Jeremy lean down to kiss the salty droplets free from her cheeks, the Army Brat stroked Jeremy's buzz cut lovingly. She had never felt so complete and whole. It was almost as if this is where she was meant to be, in bed with Jeremy Sherwood. If someone had told her that two years ago when he was dating her sister, Emmalin probably would have laughed.

"Still, don't cry. It scares the hell outta me. I was worried you regretted giving me your virginity." His deep baritone voice overflowed with release and his shoulders let go of the gathered tension.

"No. No regrets here. I don't think I've ever been this happy." Emmalin cuddled in even closer to the Specialist's strong muscled body. They just fit so good together. Every curve and concave melded perfectly, no awkward jutting of bones or limbs.

"How you feeling?" Jeremy whispered huskily against the Army Brat's ear. The sun that shone through the window illuminating her freckled skin, highlighting it against the soldier's tanned muscles, the flannel sheets wrapped around them loosely in the warm heat.

"A little sore. Nothing a good cuddle with my sexy boyfriend can't fix." the seventeen year old teased, sucking on Jeremy's neck, a purple hickey quickly forming along his collar. The new hickey was just a newer addition to the many others that were littered across his sun-kissed skin.

"I'll cuddle as long as you want." He chuckled, pulling her tiny frame into his lap. Jeremy pulled Emmalin tight against him, stealing a kiss from her rosy lips.

"Hmmm…I don't think the Army's willing to let me keep you for that long." Emmalin giggled against Jeremy's shoulder. Her hands continued on their journey across her boyfriend's skin, memorizing everything. It wouldn't be but a few more months before he deployed, who knew how much longer she'd have him all to herself...the thought scared her almost to the point of a breakdown.

"Who cares about the Army? I'd rather stay here with my baby…even if she's been rubbing her cold feet against my legs all night." His hands slide across her body to tickle her (still) cold feet, making Emmalin laugh against where she was snuggling across his shoulder.

"Sorry, you were warm and I couldn't help myself. Besides if you didn't tolerate my cold feet, then who would?" the brunette teased, her loose messy hair sliding into her face. With a smirk Jeremy lovingly pulled the dark silky strands behind Emmalin's ear. He was so gently with her, it surprised even him. Jeremy had never known how careful his strong, calloused hands could be.

"I don't know and I'm not willing to give anyone else the chance. I love you more than anything. You're my world, you know." His arms wrapped around the Army Brat's curvy form, pulling her soft body flush against him. Jeremy could feel Emmalin smiling into his chest.

"So…you wanna do that again?" Emmalin asked, suddenly feeling nervous. Was she allowed to ask that they make love again? Where there rules to asking? Was Jeremy supposed to start it? Even though she wasn't a virgin anymore, there was still so much she didn't know. Sometimes Emmalin felt so unexperienced next to her nineteen year old boyfriend.

"You know, baby, you never have to ask me that. I could be shot in the leg, twice, and still want to have sex with you." Jeremy chuckled, kissing down the soft skin of Emmalin's next as he began pulling the sheets off her smooth skin. Beginning another round, probably around the twentieth, that was sure to be just as beautiful as the others; because when you're with someone you love more than anything, the love you make is going to be more beautiful than anything you've ever made.

(Remember that if you want "the night before" you can read my fic about it, called "Take Me" and it's rated M. I'm told it's my best written piece!)


	27. Counting Chickens Before They Hatch

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing :'( sadly.

**Author's Note:** Sorry, sorry, sorry for the delay! But it's finally here! And I got a **request for a sexy shower** **scene fic** which **should be up soon**, so stay tuned! And I have a **companion piece** that sort of goes with this chapter, called **"Mother's Intuition"**, you don't have to read it to understand the story, they just really compliment each other is all

The glass tumbled out of her hand and hit the hardwood floor before Claudia Joy Holden could stop it, the clear crystal shattering loudly against her previously spotless house. But she wasn't worried about the glass, which had been a wedding gift by the way; no what made her jaw go slack was her seventeen-year-old daughter… or more specifically her daughter's neck.

Dark reddish, purple hickeys were normality on her daughter's skin, left there by her older, soldier boyfriend. But this was more than just a few hickeys.

They had all been gathered in the kitchen, preparing dinner happily. They being Claudia Joy and her daughter Emmalin, accompanied by Denise Sherwood and her son Jeremy. Jeremy was a frequent in the Holden home, being Emmalin's boyfriend. Sometimes their lovey-dovey ness made Claudia Joy want to vomit, other times she thought it was adorable. Right now was one of those vomit moments.

Jeremy and Emmalin were sitting together at the table, their fingers loosely intertwined. Emmalin perched comfortably on the Specialist's lap as he kissed the hallow behind her ear tenderly making the seventeen year old giggle. They looked up when the sound of breaking glass reached them.  
"Claudia Joy? Are you okay? When was the last time you checked your blood sugar?" Her heavily pregnant best friend, Denise Sherwood asked. The Army Wife, and the unborn Molly, waddled to the law student's frozen frame. Just as the EMT was about to ask what was wrong, she saw it…saw them. Saw what her son had done to Claudia Joy's daughter.

The Holden family kitchen filled with silence, despite the four occupence it held. Thick tension oozed from the atmosphere as Emmalin rose from her boyfriend's lap to retrieve a broom. The two older women stared back and forth between Emmalin Holden and Specialist Jeremy Sherwood, their mouths and eyes wide. The seventeen- and nineteen- year olds returned the unfaltering gazes that covered them confusedly. Finally, the two Army Wives looked at each other and then returned to their fixation on Emmalin's slender neck, and the dog tags that hung there.

Didn't they realize what a big deal that was? You don't give just anybody your dog tags. A soldier's dog tags are his identity, the one-ounce of security that tells them they'll be returned to their loved ones. Some couples are together for years and never give away dog tags. Dog tags meant something all right.

"Emmalin…he…you." Claudia Joy stuttered when her brain could finally process words again. She pointed a thin finger of accusation at Jeremy.

"Jeremy Lee Sherwood…oh my God, Claudia Joy, there's no way we can tell Frank about this!" Panic filled her eyes at the thought of breaking this news to her husband. No one could be sure if it was the hormones that were making the Army Wife crazy or not at the moment.  
"How long?" The FRG Leader asked, resuming some sense of normality despite the turmoil raging through her. Her daughter had been made a woman and she had no idea about it? How could she not have known? Emmalin was practically glowing with happiness and content and it never even occurred to her? Some nights Emmalin walked through the door practically disheveled, her long chocolate hair a mess and smile on her face as Jeremy escorted her inside to her bedroom…oh my God, Claudia Joy thought, how many times had she watched Jeremy and Emmalin walk the stairs up to her bedroom and not even thought about what they were doing up there? Now that she really thought about it, she remembered an occasion or two when Emmalin had entered the house with her shirt buttons mismatched.

While her body was filled with terror at the thought of her baby all grown up and in the arms of a man, the guilt of not noticing had a far worse sting. It squeezed at her insides and almost left the Army Wife in a crippled state.

"What are you both talking about? How long what? And what's with all the silence and staring?" The hockey player questioned as she began carefully sweeping up the fallen glass into a pile.

"His dog tags are falling out of your shirt, Emmalin. How long have you been having sex?" Claudia Joy's voice was barely a whisper, scared that if she admitted that her daughter had a sex life out loud that her head would suddenly be filled with images and thought of it.

"Ohhh, umm, I…we…a month. It's been a month now." Emmalin blushed, leaning the broom against the wall as she turned to look nervously at her boyfriend for help. With a deep breath, Jeremy reached for her hand to offer encouragement. Well it wasn't like they could hide it forever.

"And you just now gave her your tags?" Denise asked her son, her dark brown eyes still resting on the metal tags that nestled between Emmalin's bosoms.

"I gave them to her that night…Emmalin just normally keeps them hidden under her clothes when she's at home. We didn't exactly want everyone knowing." Jeremy exhaled sharply; this wasn't exactly the conversation he wanted to have with his mother of all people. This was supposed to be between him and Emmalin, but sadly it wasn't going to work out that way. God, he wished she would hurry up and turn eighteen already.

"I forgot to tuck them back under my shirt. And we still don't want anybody to know… Don't tell Dad?" The brunette pleaded, gripping her boyfriend's hand tightly. She was only seventeen and her father never let Jeremy forget it. God knows what trouble he'd be in if her overprotective father found out they were having sex.

"…You're taking the birth control prescription I got you?" Claudia Joy cringed. She knew this was bound to happen sooner or later, so she had the forethought to prepare her daughter with birth control. But taking Emmalin to the gynecologist and finding out Emmalin was having sex were so completely different. Completely different feelings.

"Everyday. I'll need a refill next week." Emmalin admitted, wrapping her arms around Jeremy's torso in an attempt to turn her strong boyfriend into a human shield.

"I'll take you…and we won't tell the Colonel. This can stay between the four of us, right?" Denise offered, walking over and hugging the two teens as much as her belly would allow. She placed a soft kiss on her son's cheek and leaned over to kiss the seventeen year old's forehead.

You guys are the only one's who know for sure…but I guess most people just assume." Jeremy explained as Denise released them. He snaked his long, muscled arms around his girlfriend, rocking her small framed gently against his chest.

"Dad can't know, I'm still only seventeen." Emmalin said, to her mother in particular. Their eyes locked momentarily.

"…I…" A thousand and one things ran through Claudia Joy Holden's mind as she searched for what to say. She was between a rock and a hard place, between her husband and her baby. If she told Michael then Emmalin would never forgive her and it might even scar their relationship forever. If Michael found out about this and learned that Claudia Joy knew and didn't tell him, he'd never forgive her. Quickly she made her decision.

"Then we won't tell him, but there's…rules?" Claudia Joy breathed trying to calm herself. Even though she told Michael everything, she would keep this to herself. It was best for everyone she decided. Best if Michael thought his little princess was still a little girl, best if Emmalin knew she could come to her, best for her husband and daughter's relationship. And besides, Jeremy Sherwood would look awful in an orange jumpsuit, orange just isn't his color.

"Rules?" Emmalin raised an eyebrow.

"Relax. I'm not going to tell you when and where to do 'it', we just need to have some ground rules. One, you do not miss a single dose of that birth control Emmalin. Two, I want to know where you are and where you're going. God knows how many lies you've told while sneaking around for the last month." The Law Student explained.

"Jeremy, if she gets pregnant, I'll kill you…that's all I'm gonna say." The pregnant EMT growled at her son, if he was anything like his father than she knew the word 'condom' wasn't in his freakin' vocabulary. That was why she waddled instead of walked and why she couldn't fit into a single pair of pants she owned…damn horny Frank. But don't get the wrong idea, she loved her husband and two children more than anything.

"Three, if she gets pregnant I'll kill you. Four, you keep those dog tags hidden around your father. Now we don't tell anybody about this." Claudia Joy laughed at her hormonal best friend.

"Deal." Emmalin promised.

"Yes, Ma'am." Specialist Sherwood agreed, kissing Emmalin on the cheek gently.

"Soooo…does this mean Jeremy and I can have sex in the house now? Because sneaking around is pretty exhausting." The Hockey player asked, stretching up on her tippy toes to peck her boyfriend on the lips.

"I…I…you? Be careful?" And for the second time in the last hour the infamously unfazeable Claudia Joy Holden's brain turned to mush.

Exhaling sharply as she watched the two teens exit the kitchen, Claudia Joy turned toward her pregnant best friend.

"I just don't think I'm mature enough to have a daughter who's been made a woman." Claudia Joy sighed, her tired voice filled with exhaustion as she leaned down to finish picking up the glass pile on the floor.

"Would you feel better if I said you could blame my son?" teased Denise. Normally she would help her best friend clean the floor, but she knew she couldn't bend over if she tried.

"…maybe a little. But I think I'd feel better if I didn't know." Claudia Joy laughed.

"You know Frank, Michael and I made a bet, back when Jeremy was seven, that Jeremy and Emmalin would grow up and get married. Easy money!" Denise was famous for her incredible betting skills. She just had a feeling about some things and those feelings almost always spread all the way to her band account.

"You know it's bad luck to 'count your chickens before the they hatch'. But how much did you bet?" The Army Wife laughed knowing her best friend was most likely right and had possible hit a goldmine.

"$50 that they get married. Our husbands bet against me. And I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch, I've got killer mother's intuition, thank you very much." Denise giggled, rubbing her swollen belly for emphasis.

"Let's just hope our chickens don't accidentally hatch anything of their own soon." Claudia Joy laughed throwing the collected glass into the trash can.

The two returned to cooking dinner as they discussed just how many grandbabies they were going to demand from their poor children…just not anytime soon.


	28. Chicken Soup For The Couple's Soul

Emmalin Holden almost giggled when she saw the sleeping figure lying tangled on the bed. Quietly, she approached the all too familiar mattress.

His limp frame was half-covered and half-uncovered by the bedding, a mountain of tissue surrounding him like the Great Wall of China.

Poke…Poke…Poke

The seventeen year old couldn't help sticking out her tiny index finger to prod his bare back. The pad of her thumb brushed his spine and she felt him shiver in his slumber.

"Jeremy?" Emmalin called, finally addressing her boyfriend.

No response but Specialist Jeremy Sherwood stirred.

"Ugh…" came the Soldier's groggy reply, tired and strained.

"Jeremy?" Emmalin called again, silently asking her lover to roll over and look at her.

"Ughh…" Begrudgingly he rolled from his side onto his back. His chocolate-colored eyes where cloudy as they stared into her amber one's.

Emmalin had to refrain from cooing, knowing that Jeremy wouldn't like that. He hated people fussing him. But it was hard for her not too after getting a good look at her poor boyfriend.

Jeremy's cheeks and nose where red as a reindeers and his skin was clammy with cold sweat. He looked miserable and it broke Emmalin's heart.

"Hey there, baby boy. You feeling any better?" Emmalin whispered, incase he was fighting off a migraine, and softly she kissed his forehead. Pulling a tissue free from the box on Jeremy's nightstand, the Army Brat dabbed gently the sweat from his cheekbones.

"No." Jeremy rasped, his usually deep husky voice sounded like it had been put through the blender and then attacked by sandpaper.

"Want Mama to kiss it better?" Emmalin smiled.

"Awff…yeah." Jeremy coughed, then chuckled as Emmalin leaned over and laid kisses across his face.

Her pale rosy lips brushed his cheeks, forehead, nose and throat as softly as a feather.

"Guess what I brought you." Emmalin stroked his buzz-cut lovingly.

"Mmmh?" Jeremy murmured with his eyes closed, enjoying his girlfriend's sweet administrations. He'd been impatiently waiting all day for her to get out of school. He wished more than once that he'd asked her to skip and spend the day with him.

"Chicken noodle soup. Homemade, your favorite." She giggled, pulling a thermos of soup from her book bag.

"God, I love you." Jeremy said as she handed him a spoon.

"Awhh! He speaks and a whole sentence too! My Grandma always said that food was the way to a man's heart." Emmalin teased, helping Jeremy sit up to eat.

"Very fu—achoo!...funny." Jeremy began as a violent sneeze tore through him.

"Bless you." Emmalin excused before she pressed her lips wordlessly to the Specialist's forehead, checking his temperature, "Your fever's gone down. Do you want anything?"

"No. Baby, I feel sick." the nineteen year old pouted. He hated being sick. He hated the yucky cough medicine he had to take, he hated feeling nauseous, and he especially hated the doctor he would soon have to visit if he didn't get any better.

"I know baby boy." the seventeen year old couldn't keep from laughing at her boyfriend's childlike pouting.

"You know I bet you wouldn't think this was so funny, if you were the one who was sick." Jeremy glared, halfheartedly before sneezing again.

"But I'm not the one who's sick. You are…and I am unashamed to admit that I love it when you let me baby you." Emmalin chuckled, kiss Jeremy square on the lips.

"Ughhh…" the Soldier coughed.

-One week later-

"Told you, you wouldn't think it was so funny if you were the one that was sick." Jeremy Sherwood teased as he carried a steaming bowl near Emmalin's bed.

His seventeen-year-old girlfriend sneezed from her place under the covers. She was buried under a metric ton of fleece blankets and still couldn't seem to get warm.

"Ha ha ha. This is all your fault, Jeremy. You got me sick." the youngest Holden sniffled, pointing an accusational finger at the Specialist.

"What happened to 'being unashamed of admitting that you love babying me', huh?" Jeremy sat next to her on the bed, wrapping his arms around the brunette to warm her up.

"I do love babying you, I just don't like suffering for it later." Emmalin sneezed.

"Well lucky for you, I made soup." Jeremy said proudly, happy to cook something for her rather than the other way around. He was pretty pathetic at cooking. Jeremy had practically gotten kicked out of HomeEd in high school for lack of teach-ability.

"You made it?" the Hockey player raised one eyebrow nervously. She loved Jeremy, more than anything, but if she ate his "cooking" as he liked to call it then she knew there'd be painful consequences later…probably in the form of food poisoning.

"Made as in, opened a can and microwaved." Jeremy clarified, kissing the top of her head as he handed her the hot soup.

"Ohhh good. You already got me sick, it'd be morally wrong to give me food poisoning too." Emmalin sighed and eased into her boyfriend's warm arms, finally feeling comfortable. God, she wished he could've skipped PT today and stayed with her.

"Yeah I figured I'd baby you to the best of my abilities." Jeremy laughed.

"You know…when I babied you I wore a naughty nurses outfit. Where's your uniform, Nurse Sherwood?" Emmalin asked. She put on "the works" for him, he practically owed her the same since he was the reason she was sick. She wanted him out of those jeans and into a sexy outfit NOW.

"Please, I think we both know that I couldn't get my ass in that tight spandex dress of your's even if I wanted too." Jeremy laughed again, smoothing Emmalin's hair out of her face as she finished her soup.

So he wasn't exactly a "domestic goddess" in a naughty nurse's outfit, he didn't food poison her so that counted for something, right?


	29. Heart Attack Happenings

Disclaimer: I own nothing :'(

Author's Note: An update in honor of Richard Bryant's birthday…and just because I think he's way up there in terms of hunky man sexy-ness ;)

Jeremy Sherwood walked with Emmalin Holden through the doors of the Fort Marshall Office Head Quarters, guiding her by the small hand into his father's office. He raised one rough hand to knock against the door.

The sound of someone knocking on his office door only half-tore Colonel Frank Sherwood away from his paperwork and computer screen.

"Come in." Frank called to whoever was outside. He pulled off his glasses and turned his full attention when he realized it was his son and his son's girlfriend.

"Hey ol' man, you busy?" Specialist Jeremy Sherwood smiled at his father, one hand tightly gripping his girlfriend's.

"It's my lunch hour anyway. Whatcha up too, boy?" Frank laughed, happy to have an excuse (any excuse) to take a break from his paperwork.

"Not much. Emmalin and I just thought we'd stop by and give you the good news." Jeremy smiled, pulling Emmalin into his arms and giving her a loving peck on the cheek, making the Army Brat giggle.

"Hmm, good news eh?" Frank raised an eyebrow curiously. By this point he was immune to all their 'lovey dovey-ness' and it didn't even phase him anymore.

"Yeah, you're the first to know…show him, baby." The nineteen year old grinned, tucking a strand of Emmalin's dark chocolate-colored hair behind her ear.

Emmalin held out her left hand for the Colonel to see, proudly showing off a brand new ring. A smile lighting up her face as she leaned forward on her tippy-toes to place a feather light kiss against the Soldier's lips.

"ugh…t-that's a…a ring?" The Colonel gasped, stating the obvious. All he could do was stare shell-shocked at the pale gold ring with the small diamond decorating the seventeen year old's ring finger.

"Yeah, we got married this morning. It's not official yet, we've got three days before the marriage license goes through…first thing we're doing when we get back home is consummating this baby." Jeremy wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. His comment making Emmalin's cheeks burn cherry red embarrassedly as she felt the Colonel's gaze travel back and forth between the two teens.

"Consummate?" God, he was having a heart attack…and hallucinating, that's what this must be; a hallucination. His Daddy had a heart attack a few years back, and his Granddaddy died from a heart attack…and bad hearts ran in the family, and now here he was. God, Denise warned him about this, why didn't he listen when she told him 'bacon was bad'?

"Yeah, that's actually why were here. No sex in the barracks and we were wondering if we could borrow the house for a bit, Dad?" the Soldier asked casually, oblivious to his father's state of distress.

"Borrow the house? But…you're married?" Frank stuttered.

"Yes, Sir." Jeremy smiled, glancing down at Emmalin peacefully.

"Why?" Frank was finally able to muster, his jaw still slack. It's a good thing he was sitting down.

"Well it just seemed right, with the baby and all." Jeremy blushed now, gripping Emmalin tighter. The last thing he wanted to do was disappoint his father. Making his dad proud was one of the things he strived for most but he could most likely kiss all that goodbye when he mentioned the word baby.

"Baby? There's a baby?" He could feel his pale blonde eyebrows shoot so far up that they disappeared into his hairline completely.

"Yeah, we found out yesterday that I'm pregnant. We're keeping it." Emmalin Holden…. no, Emmalin Sherwood gulped, timidly gripping her boyfriend.

And just like that Frank couldn't contain himself, the sound of his yelling could no doubt be heard through out the whole building. The walls where practically rumbling and he was _thisclose _to throwing the vase that decorated his desk.

"I…I…I…JEREMY LEE FUCKING SHERWOOD! JOSEPH, MARY AND JESUS CHRIST, WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? PREGNANT? SHE'S PREGNANT? AND YOU'RE MARRIED? You're not even supposed to be having sex! She's fucking seventeen years old, for God's sake she's still a baby! That's fucking rediculious, a baby's having a baby! A baby having _your_ Goddamn baby!" Frank had never yelled so much in his entire life, and curse words had never flowed so freely, but it was all he could do to keep from strangling his only son.

Suddenly, in the wake of Frank Sherwood's outburst, Emmalin and Jeremy fell into a fit of laughter. The side rippling, tears of joy, lung-busting kind that happened only when something absolutely hilarious had just taken place.

"What is wrong with you both? Why are you both laughing? Your married! And pregnant!" He was flabbergasted, starring at the two like they'd each grown a second head….now that he thought about it, he was gonna rip one of Jeremy's off.

"Ha ha ha…Emmalin's not pregnant, Dad." Jeremy struggled between fits of laughter.

"And we're not married." Emmalin giggled, dabbing tears from her amber eyes.

"What?" Once again, it was a damn good thing he was sitting down.

"Happy April Fool's, Dad." Jeremy smiled, as if his father's outburst never happened. Kissing Emmalin's forehead, and rubbing her child-free belly.

"What? It's not April Fool's Day."

"You're right, it's not April Fool's Day until next week. But if we would've done this on April Fool's day, you wouldn't have fallen for it."

"You like my wedding ring? We got it from a gumball machine!" the Hockey player flashed the ring again. Turning her hand over, palm side up, revealing the cheap metal adjustable clasp on the bottom.

"That was not funny! Jeremy I was about to kick your ass! I should still kick your ass, boy! You know bad hearts run in our family, you two were 'bout to give me a heart attack!" Relief filled his whole being. He was about to be a father again, he didn't think he could handle being a grandfather too.

"When we got Mom, she almost went into labor." Jeremy smirked.

"It was her idea to throw in the baby line." Emmalin teased, slipping her hands into the back pockets of Jeremy's jeans.

"Your mother knew you both were gonna come prank me like this?" Traitor, traitor, traitor, traitor.

"It was her idea." They both laughed.

"Hey, Frank! You in your office?" Michael Holden called.

"Ohh oh, go get Michael! Keep in the part about a baby! Nearly made me wet myself!" Frank pointed to the door, rising to usher the two teens toward the voice coming farther down the hallway.

And just like that Colonel Frank Sherwood sent his son and almost-future-daughter-in-law off to scare the hell out of his best friend. If he heard any gunshots then he'd know it hadn't gone well.


	30. Sinfully Selfish

It was a sunny spring day in Charleston, South Carolina. The sea breeze coated Fort Marshall like a refreshing blanket and the military base was busy appreciating the fair weather.

Specialist Jeremy Sherwood and army brat Emmalin Holden were taking a walk on that pleasant Saturday morning. An awkward silence engulfed the couple and Emmalin had no idea why.

The silence was smothering, the light tension more obvious than just the stiffness of the soldier's posture. What was wrong? Was it something she'd done, or said? Why was Jeremy unhappy? All these questions and more filled Emmalin's head, each begging to be spoken aloud but getting trapped in her throat just as they were about to be released. She couldn't fix something, when she didn't know what was wrong.

Without a word, Jeremy grabbed the seventeen year old's hand and lead her to a bench just outside of the bustling park. Taking a seat on the wooden bench, he sat and silently observed. His thumb stroking the back of her hand, gentle and loving.

It seemed that Jeremy's dark chocolate eyes were looking everywhere but at Emmalin. He stared at the children that played all around the park, they were everywhere: the jungle gym, the monkey bars, and there where at least seven of the little ones at the seesaw.

"We need to talk, Emmalin. I…I've got big news to tell you." Jeremy said suddenly, after being quiet all morning. Trapped in his own thoughts. He squeezed her petite hand in his large, calloused one.

"We need to talk?" Panic filed Emmalin's almond shaped eyes. We need to talk was the kiss of death in relationships. "Are you…are you breaking up with me?" Emmalin stammered, fearing the worst.

"No. It's not like that! I'm not breaking up with you…it's just…" Jeremy sighed, looking away from her again. His pearly white teeth sunk into his full apricot-colored lip, as he turned to face her again.

"What's the matter then? Did I say or do something?" Emmalin looked at her boyfriend, searching his eyes for clues to what could possibly be wrong, "You've barely said a word to me since this morning." Emmalin said.

Jeremy's strong arms wrapped around her tiny frame, holding the Army Brat close. He pulled her into his lap and buried his face in her neck and hair, breathing her in deeply. "I…I'm being deployed." Jeremy whispered against her collar, his arms tightening around his girlfriend. He placed a loving kiss against her neck, his lips savoring her taste. Knowing he wouldn't be able to enjoy it much longer.

"Deployed?" Emmalin's eyes widened, as she wrapped her arms around him. Tears springing to her eyes at the thought of Jeremy, _her_ Jeremy, leaving. Her hands stroked his russet-colored buzz cut, small fingers toying with the hair at the nape of his neck.

"To Afghanistan for six months." the Soldier clarified, placing a kiss on her rosy cheek before laying his cheek flush against her's.

"Six months, Jeremy? When?" Emmalin whispered breathlessly, burying her body as far into his as she could. Her fingers clutched in his shirt. His gray civilian shirt made of cotton absorbed the one or two small salt droplets that fell from Emmalin's amber eyes. His light blue jean, soft against her thighs as she cuddled close to Jeremy's body, not caring who saw them.

"Two months after your eighteenth." Jeremy kissed her forehead, and cheeks, and finally her lips. His lips brushing her rosy one's as light as a feather.

"After my birthday?" Emmalin mumbled, as a trail of tears fell from her eyes. Big streams this time and not small droplets.

"Yeah…I…look, don't cry. Please, baby." Jeremy pleaded, kissing the salty trails away. His warm hand rubbed smooth circles in her back.

"I don't want to, it's just…Jeremy, I don't want you to go." Emmalin sobbed into the soldier's shoulder.

"I know." He pushed her hair out of her face and then stroked the long silky chocolate strands.

"I…I…why do they have to send you? Can't they find someone else, anyone else?" She rubbed her eyes, brushing the last of her tears away. I will not cry, I will be strong: Emmalin repeated in her head over and over again, like a mantra.

"Baby, you know how the Army works, it's my job." Jeremy whispered into her ear, his deep husky voice soft against her skin. Music to her ears.

"But…what about me Jeremy? I…I don't know if I can let you go." Emmalin ran her hands up and down his muscled chest soothingly.

"You'll have too. Come on, baby, you had to have known that this would happen eventually." His hand cupped her chin, bringing her face up to look him in the eyes. "I'm a soldier and we're in a war. You know how it goes."

"I know. And I knew this would happen eventually b-but I…what if you get hurt?" Emmalin whispered, "What…what if you don't come home to me? I can't lose you, Jeremy, I need you." Shakingly she voiced her biggest fear, that he would go away and never come home, never come home to her.

"I know, baby. And don't worry about me, I'm all trained." Jeremy smiled gently, reassuringly. He brought her deeper into his lap, placing tender kisses on her forehead, his lips lingering.

"Promise me." Emmalin said, kissing his shoulder and neck, "You have to promise me that you'll come back to me." Emmalin requested, leaning up to kiss his cheek and temple.

"I…I can't promise you anything Emmalin. As much as I'd like too…" Jeremy knew he couldn't make any guarantees, he could get hurt and never see it coming, things where unpredictable over there and no one knew that better than him. And Jeremy Sherwood was never one to make promised he couldn't keep.

"I know you're not supposed to but, do it anyway. Promise me. Because then I'll know you mean it. You'd never break a promise." Emmalin needed this, needed his word. She couldn't let him go to Afghanistan until he promised to make his way home to her.

"Okay… I promise." Jeremy promised reluctantly, kissing the corner of Emmalin's mouth.

"Good. I…I'm sorry for being selfish when it comes to you. I wondered if you knew that." Emmalin apologized, stroking his cheek.

"Selfish when it comes to me?" He quirked an eyebrow.

"Yeah. I mean you're mine. And I'm selfish because I want you all to myself. I don't even want to share you with the Army." Emmalin grinned before begrudgingly admitting, "And if I had to choose between you and someone else getting hurt, especially over there, I'd pick them in a heartbeat." She leaned forward and kissed Jeremy's lips lovingly, "No matter who they were, even if they had a family, even if they had kids or a fiancé or something. Because I…because you're mine and I can't bring myself to care about anyone more than you." She admitted shamefully, arms tangling around her boyfriend's neck as she spoke.

"It's not a pick and choose game, we don't take turns getting hurt over there, baby." He said solemnly, squeezing her close. Briefly he thought of the best friend he lost last time he went overseas. He wondered, not for the first time, how Rison's girlfriend felt about her lost love. How Emmalin would feel if he died like Rison had.

"I know…does it make me a bad person because I would rather someone else get hurt over you? I wouldn't care if they had a wife or a baby, I would still pick you." Selfish, selfish, selfish, selfish, selfish. That's what she was, selfish, and she knew it better than anyone.

"No, you're not a bad person Emmalin. Nobody wants to see someone they care about get hurt. It's easier watching someone you don't know get hurt than it is watching someone you love get hurt." Jeremy reassured, kissing his baby's cheek.

"I'd let someone we know die before I let you die, tell me that doesn't make me a bad person?" Emmalin begged, and pleaded, she needed reassurance that she wasn't an awful person for wishing someone dead over him. She needed validation for loving someone that much.

"I'd let anyone die if it kept you safe. I go overseas and fight, and kill people, and it's to keep you safe. Does that make me a bad person?" Jeremy asked rhetorically. She wasn't a bad person, and if she was, what the hell did that make him?

"…No." Emmalin voiced softly, her voice a gently hum. Her fingers played with the dog tags that hung around her neck, his dog tags.

"You're not a bad person." And then he kissed her. Their tongues tangled and danced, and hands wandered, lips mingling: as if they were each other's life support.  
"So we have three months left together before I have to send you off to Afghanistan for six months?" Emmalin sighed, kissing Jeremy again.

"Yeah." He drug his index finger across her full bottom lip. They'd make the most of those three months, he knew.

"Well…then I guess I just have to be extra selfish with you until then, so I can make up for lost time. I can't help but be a little angry with you Jeremy, getting me addicted to sex and then just getting yourself sent away for six months...hardly seems fair to the poor innocent you corrupted." Emmalin teased, giving his butt a smack as they stood from the bench.

"How awful of me, denying you sex so that I can go fight for our country. I'm an ass alright," Jeremy chuckled, kissing down Emmalin slender neck, "I'm selfish with you too. Really selfish."

"Oh really?" Emmalin asked curiously, as Jeremy toyed with the spaghetti strap on Emmalin's tank top.

"Oh yeah, why don't we go back to my place, you can strip down and I'll show you just how selfish I am." Jeremy waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

And sure enough, when they got back to Jeremy's from the park they were selfish for hours…much to the dismay of his mother who realized that the walls of her home where entirely to thin.


	31. You're Going to Jennifer's

Disclaimer: I own nothing! :'(

Author's Note: Soooo sorry my updates have been far and few between and that my usual quality of work might not have been up to par. My Grandmother died and my family and I had to go home to Russia to bury her and handle her assets. I'm sorry that I've been gone but I couldn't help it, thankfully everything has been settled and now I can hopefully update normally again.

But I've decided to dedicate this to my loving Grandmother (Babushka in Russian) Anya Maria Ivanov, may she rest in peace, forever in Heaven.

"Happy birthday." A deep, husky voice whispered against the shell of her ear. Throaty and raspy with desire. The masculine voice was so familiar, Emmalin didn't even need to turn around to know that it belonged to Specialist Jeremy Sherwood, her boyfriend of eight months.

"Mmmh, happy birthday to me." She laughed, turning around in his arms. Despite her tall heels, the now eighteen year old had to stand on her tippy-toes to place a soft kiss against Jeremy's soft lips.

"You're an adult now, and now you can do adult things." He whispered against Emmalin's lips quietly. They had been waiting for this day for a long time. Not just the two months that they had been having sex, but for the whole eight months that they had been seeing each other for.

"I'm guessing you mean sex in particular, right?" The Army Brat teased, her slim hips grinding provocatively against the soldier's. Jeremy growled lustfully in response, licking her earlobe hungrily.

"Ahh, pretty and a sense of humor." the Specialist chuckled, claiming her lips with his own.

"My party starts in thirty." Emmalin giggled as Jeremy planted delicate kisses on her cheek and neck.

"And after that?" Jeremy Sherwood quirked one dark eyebrow, his hands wandering down to rest in the small of Emmalin's back. Long calloused fingers spanned nearly all of her lower back, fitting perfectly.

"I don't know, have any plans?" Emmalin teased, knowing full well that he had plans for both of them.

"I had a few in mind. What exactly were you hoping for, baby?" Jeremy questioned his girlfriend, his lips gliding over the skin on her slender neck, leaving a tender hickey on the hallow behind her ear.

"Hmm…having perfectly legal sex. With. You. Alone. Legally." The Army Brat punctuated.

"How about I whisk you away to a hotel for the night? Where we celebrate in private for the rest of the night and probably early into the morning, and late into the afternoon?" Specialist Sherwood suggested, running a lone finger down Emmalin spine slowly. The single digit left a trail of goosebumps down it's wake.

"Just the two of us for the whole night?" Emmalin asked, her voice filled to brim with excitement. He was leaving her in two weeks, and even though she knew it was selfish of her, she had been hogging him every available minute. She only had so much time left with Jeremy before he left for Afghanistan.

"In a hotel off-post. All night, baby. Just the two of us." His eyes dark chocolate eyes looked sad as he said this, they wouldn't have any nights like tonight for months to come. They had gotten to the point where he didn't know if he could go to sleep without feeling her curled up against him at night.

"That sounds so romantic Jeremy. I love it." Emmalin smiled, kissing his apricot colored lips lovingly.

"Good. Soooo….are you by any chance wearing sexy panties under this dress?" Jeremy asked, his brain heading straight toward the gutter.

"You'll just have to wait and see Specialist Sherwood." Emmalin blushed, her cheeks becoming a light cherry color.

"What's just a little peek?" Jeremy teased, giving her purple dress a light pull, giving her firm ass a squeeze. Emmalin swatted his hands away from her derrière blushing like mad. She gave him a tender kiss on the cheek before returning to her previous task of setting the placemats for dinner, more eager for the after party than the party itself.

& & & & - & & & - & & - RILEY - & & - & & & - & & & &

"Mom. Jeremy and I are gonna go ahead and take off. Don't wait up, 'kay." Emmalin Holden told her mother, pulling her boyfriend by the arm through the practically empty room that had less than half an hour ago held her energetic eighteenth birthday celebration.

"Emmalin, you're going to Jennifer's right? Jeremy's dropping you off and you're going to Jennifer's for the night, right?" Claudia Joy Holden asked, knowing where they were going and what they were going to do…unfortunately. But she would NOT think about it, she didn't need the mental images…happy thoughts, happy thoughts, happy thoughts…my daughter is not leaving to go get screwed by her boyfriend, she's going to her best friends, and they'll ride ponies, and watch Teletubies and eat ice cream. Yeah, denial is a beautiful thing sometimes.

"What? I'm not going to Jennifer's tonight. She left earlier and… Jeremy and I were kinda hoping fo-" Emmalin raised an eyebrow in confusion. What was her mom talking about?

"You're going to Jennifer's." Claudia Joy stated. The Army Wife left no room for argument.

"I'm…going to Jennifer's?" Emmalin questioned carefully.

"Yes. If you stay the night somewhere other then home, then it's at Jennifer's." Claudia Joy practically spelled out, glancing carefully in her husband's, General Michael Holden, direction.

"Ohh. Yeah I'm going to Jennifer's…all night." Emmalin and Jeremy exchanged a smirk.

"Good…have fun sweetheart." Err, what else was she supposed to say?

"Ohhh, I will. Jennifer's not going to let me get a wink of sleep tonight." Emmalin teased, pulling "Jennifer" close for a peck on the lips.

"Emmalin I can't pretend that I don't know you're going off to have sex if you keep saying things like that." Claudia Joy rolled her eyes as she took off to return a center piece to a storage closet.

"Sorry Mom. See you in the morning-" Emmalin called before her mother had walked more than a few steps.

"Late afternoon." Jeremy interrupted, correcting his girlfriend. If she thought she was leaving that bed before checkout tomorrow afternoon then she was delusional. They had to make up for future lost time, they had a deadline here, two weeks. And Jeremy Sherwood never missed a deadline.

"See you both then." Claudia Joy sighed watching Emmalin and Jeremy glide hand-in-hand to the exit, sneaking off to God-knows-where.

God, she needed a tylonel and a bottle of calamine lotion. A tylonel for the headache she was going to get when she explained to her husband why their daughter was slipping out of her own party, and a bottle of calamine lotion because she could feel her normally calm, cool, and collected self getting hives.


	32. Airport Proposals

The plane hadn't even pulled up to the port yet, and already she missed him. Missed everything about him.

Emmalin Holden missed the way his skin and hard muscles felt beneath her fingertips. Missed his sweet, earthy sandalwood smell, that was so masculine and so Jeremy. Missed his dark eyes and the way his laughter shone through them every time he smiled. And oh God his smile, she'd miss that…

Specialist Jeremy Sherwood hadn't even left yet and already his girlfriend was drowning without his him. Emmalin pulled herself together the best she could. It was there last day together, at least for the next six months and maybe even forev…no she wouldn't think about that, that wasn't an option. She wouldn't be able to let him board that jet if she kept thinking like that.

Jeremy was deploying today, and Emmalin had never felt this gutwrenching pain before. Like drowning only without the glimmering hope of survival, like going through drug withdrawl, like she was going ninety miles an hour only to go crashing down a wall. It hurt, it hurt so fucking bad. She hadn't even felt this kind of hurt before; not when her Dad deployed, not when she broke her leg, not even when her sister died. Emmalin was trying her hardest to hold back the tears that were gathering in the corners of her almond shaped eyes, and she was only just barely suceeding.

"Baby, don't be sad" Jeremy Sherwood whispered against Emmalin's ear. Kissing the hollow behind her ear as he did so. His hands felt so firm against her skin, as he held her close. Neither of them caring who watched them on the crowded plane terminal.

"I'm trying…I cant." Emmalin cried, salty trails leaking from her amber eyes.

"I know." Jeremy cooed, his thumbs dabbing the tears away. He had no idea how the hell he was gonna be able to leave her alone for six months. It would kill him being away from her this long. But it was his job, and he had to do it. This was the Army, and part of being 'Army Strong' meant being strong enough to leave the people you cared about more than anything.

"No, you don't…it's easier to leave then be left. God, it hurts. And I…I miss you already. And what if you di-" the Army Brat stuttered, burying herself in his chest. The eighteen year old was savoring every last second, every last detail about him was being forced into her memory, and she would be damned if she let a single thing slip away.

"Shhh. Don't even think that…I'll come back." Jeremy said firmly, tilting her chin up and kissing her until she was breathless. When he pulled away, his dark chocolate eyes stared into her's, reassuringly.

"You don't know that." Emmalin said so teeny, she could barely hear herself. But she had to say it that way; afraid that if she voiced her biggest fear, it would come true.

"I do." The Soldier swore, his arms pulling her small frame close to his warm, ACU clad body.

"Then promise me." She knew he shouldn't be making her promises but she needed this. If there was one thing Jeremy Sherwood was, it was a man of his word. He didn't break promises, no matter what.

":Baby, we both know I can't promise you anything." He whispered, his deep baritone voice filled with regret that he couldn't give her the security that she so desperately needed right now.

"Do it anyway." The Army Brat pleaded. She needed to hear it, even if it wasn't true.

"I promise, Emmalin." Jeremy said after sucking in a deep breath.

"Thank you. Be safe for me?" Emmalin smiled, unsteady and heartbroken, her head pillowed against one of her boyfriend's strong shoulders.

"I will, baby." Hw kissed her forehead tenderly. Before Emmalin, he never knew he was capable of being this gentle, of caring so much.

"You swear you'll think of me?" Emmalin smiled up at the almost twenty year old. She stretched up on her tippy toes to kiss his cheek. Her rosy lips lingering on his sweet tanned skin then they normally might have.

"Every second." And he wasn't exaggerating. Truth was, Jeremy had no idea how he was going to get any work done when the only thing he was going to be able to focus on was her.

"And you'll call and email, and write, and Facebook, and webcam when you can?" She kissed his jaw.

"Everyday, I'll make time, no matter what." He kissed her earlobe.

"Promise you won't forget about me?" She kissed his forehead, her finger stroking his soft dark buzz-cut.

"Baby, I couldn't forget about you?" He kissed her temple.

"I love you, Jeremy Lee Sherwood." Emmalin smiled, "More than anything. So you better come back to me." It wasn't a suggestion and they both knew it, she was telling him. He would come back to her, he would be unharmed, or she would kill him.

"I will, we can't get married if I don't come back to you, after all." He chuckled kissing her cheek and neck.

"Married?" Emmalin Holden's eyes got as big as dinner plates, her knees turned to jell-o, and all she could do was gap like a fish at Jeremy.

"Yeah, married. Baby when I get back, I'm getting you down that aisle even if I have to drag you." Jeremy smiled, pulling his stunned girlfriend close for a kiss, which after a moment she quickly returned.

"…are you proposing to me?" the Army Brat almost couldn't wrap her head around it.

"Yeah…but not here, not like this baby." No, he wanted it to be perfect, the kind of proposal that Emmalin deserved. He wouldn't propose without a ring in an Air Force terminal. She deserved more.

"You wanna marry me?" Emmalin didn't think she could smile any wider.

"I've been saving for your ring. I've had it picked out for months, so wait for me okay?" His soft apricot colored lippss trailed across her skin.

"I'll wait forever and a day for you Jeremy." Emmalin swore, kissing him on the lips.

"You won't be waiting that long, baby, I promise." The Soldier chuckled.

"Okay." God, so this is what it felt like to be speechless.

"I love you."

"I love you more than anything Jeremy…oh and in case you were wondering, my ring finger is a size seven…you know just in case you were wondering." Emmalin winked, smiling at her boyfriend/almost-fiance.

"I actually already knew that….I borrowed one of your rings and took it to the jeweler, I picked out one you'll like." Jeremy smirked, admitting to kidnapping her favorite ring for a few hours before stealthily sliding it back into her jewelry box.

"Let's load up!" An officer called, interrupting the two.

"Be safe, Jeremy. I love you." She said.

"I love you too, Emmalin Sherwood." Jeremy whispered into Emmalin's ear. He already liked the way it sounded on his tongue, their name.

"I don't know if I can let you go." She was willing her arms to stop squeezing him so tight but they just didn't seem to want to stop.

"You have to baby." He kissed her forehead softly.

""I love you, more than anything."

"I love you too, you're my world baby."  
"Be safe. I'll be waiting."

"I'll hurry back." He stole another quick kiss before turning away. Heading to the jet. Every step was killing them both. She had never ben hurt so much by the sight of his back.

And then she did the hardest thing she had ever done, she she watched him board that jet and didn't chase after him. She clutched the dog tags that hung around her neck and wiped her eyes as the tears started to flow. When he looked back from the staircase, a final glance at her, she smiled and mouthed 'I love you' a last time.

God she'd never felt so much pain in her life.


	33. Baking Binges

Disclaimer: I own nothing :'( if I did Tanya Gabriel would not exist since her only purpose in the show is too drive me insane! Hahahaha

Author's Note: Sorry for the delay! I know….I'm lazy. Reviews are great motivation thought! ***hint hint*** It's hard to believe I'm actually almost finished uploading the whole story :/ every chapter is closer to being the last one :'(

-cupcakes-cupcakes-cupcakes-cupcakes-

If she kept crying into the batter her cookies would turn out way too salty and she knew that. So why couldn't she stop?

The Holden kitchen was so white it looked almost like a 'winter wonderland' scene straight out of a Christmas movie. Except it wasn't Christmas and the white powder that was dusted over every surface wasn't snow. It was April and the kitchen was decked in powder.

Emmalin Holden had a problem, baking binges were not healthy. She couldn't bake a baker's dozen every time something wasn't right in her life. But her she was. And just like before she didn't know why she couldn't stop.

"Emmalin…it's been three days, honey, put the batter down." Claudia Joy Holden said, watching from the doorway. Cool, calm, collected. Three words that defined Claudia Joy Holden, and God, sometimes she hated her mother for it.

Sometimes she hated her mother for a lot of reasons. Right now it was for the way she was cool, calm and collected even when her daughter was having a breakdown. Sometimes it was because the Army Wife couldn't handle anything less than perfection, even when perfection was completely unobtainable. But the reason she hated her mother the most was because she was so much stronger than her.

Her father had been gone for three days and her mother carried on like nothing had changed…and here she was baking up a tear filled storm because Jeremy had been gone three days.

Why baking? She always went crazy in the kitchen when she was emotional, a side effect from moving so much and having no friends to talk to. Lots of Army Brats had strange little quirks as a result from being moved so much.

Why was she baking like a banshee now though? Because it didn't make her think of him. Or most importantly how he wasn't here. Specialist Jeremy Sherwood had left for Afghanistan three days ago, and Emmalin couldn't stop crying, couldn't stop baking, and couldn't stop wishing he'd never left.

It hurt, a lot. She didn't know how addicted she was until her drug was fourteen hours away, that is fourteen hours if she took a speeding Air Force Jet.

"Sweetheart, did you hear me? I said maybe we should get you cleaned up and go to a movie or something?" Claudia Joy suggested.

Emmalin flinched when she felt her mother's hand on her shoulder. The eighteen year old looked like she had been hit by a speeding Mack truck and she knew it. She hadn't changed in days, wearing one of Jeremy's shirts and a pair of sweats since she came home after seeing him off. The shirt still smelled like him and she wasn't peeling it off until she sucked away every last whiff of his sandalwood scent from it, and that was final.

"I don't want to go to a movie." The Army Brat said tiredly. She sounded exhausted, even to herself.

When was the last time she had slept? The hell if she knew. She didn't want to go to her bed without him; it wasn't as warm and comfy without his body next to her's.

"Emmalin, you can't stay here baking the whole time Jeremy's gone." Claudia Joy said gently. Her foot skidded on some flour on the floor but the Army Wife caught herself just in time.

"Why not? …You wanna know the strangest thing? This is the first time I've baked since Jeremy became my boyfriend." And just like that the flood of tears began to pour into the brownie batter…again, "Isn't that weird? When he was around I didn't need to bake, I'd tell him anything and he'd listen to everything…and now he's going to be thousands of miles away for months." Emmalin sobbed, scooping the batter into a pan and shoving it into an oven.

"Hmm, you really haven't baked since Jeremy came along? What if you talk to me while he's gone?" Claudia Joy strained her memory trying to think of when her daughter last had a baking meltdown. She was right, it was right before Jeremy became her boyfriend, "I understand more than you think, your Dad's been gone and I've got no one to talk to either, you know."

"I can't talk to you the way I can Jeremy, it's not the same." The Hockey Player pouted, sitting down at the kitchen bar. Her legs felt like they were about to give out. God, when was the last time she slept. The Army Brat had never felt this emotionally or physically drained.

"Honey, if he knew you were so upset right now he wouldn't be very happy." Claudia Joy said, taking a seat next to her eighteen year old.

"…It is all his fault." Emmalin pouted. As much as she was worried and scarred, and lonely, and desperate to see him, she couldn't help but feel the tiniest bit angry. Angry at Jeremy for leaving, angry at whoever signed the paper to send him overseas, angry at the U.S. Army for sending soldier away from home, angry at the God damn freaking terrorists for being terrorists, and she was even angry at the new anchor man for reminding her every time she watched the fucking news that people died over there. As if she didn't fucking know that already, thanks!

"It's not his fault you have a psychotic baking issue, Emmalin." The forty year old teased.

"Yeah, well it might as well be." The amber-eyed girl grumbled, if he weren't deployed she wouldn't be going crazy right now. See, totally his fault. Make sense?

"I know you miss him, he'll call in a few days. I'm sure of it." Her voice was reassuring, but it didn't seem to soothe Emmalin in the least. Claudia Joy stroked her daughter's long dark hair.

"But a few days isn't right now. Right now I don't know where he is. I don't know if he's just touched down in Afghanistan and is being mortared at the airport." Crack. Looking down, she broke the plastic whisk she was holding in half. Emmalin couldn't remember being this high strung before.

"That's the worst part, isn't it? The not knowing." She could relate.

"Yeah, it is…does it ever get better?" Was there hope?

"No, it never does but after a few deployment you learn to block it out." Nope, so much for hope.

"Block it out?" Emmalin raised an eyebrow confused. The last thing she wanted to do was forget Jeremy.

His smile, his laugh, his smell, the way she felt when he held her. No, those she'd keep until the day she died..

"Yeah, block out the little voice that is worried he might be getting mortared at an airport in Afghanistan, or being shot out of a helicopter in Vietnam, or being ransomed in a shack somewhere in Bosnia." Claudia Joy frowned, talking about her fears for her own husband. Some of which had happened.

"…When was Dad ever held for random in Bosnia?" Emmalin questioned?

"Oh, never, it's just that voice in my head gets a little crazy with the 'what if's'. That's why you learn to block it out." Claudia Joy laughed.

Okay, did her mother, THE Claudia Joy Holden just admit to hearing voices in her head? That's it, she must be exhausted. Or at least tired enough to be hallucinating.

"I can't block him out, I love Jeremy too much…and it doesn't help that he practically proposed at the airport five minutes before he left." Emmalin bit her lip, whipping tears from her almond shaped eyes with a semi- flour free hand.

"…he pr…he proposed?" Surprise struck the Army Wife. No her daughter was much to young to be married. Emmalin had only turned eighteen two weeks ago. "But you're not even done with high school…. Ohhh my God, Emmalin Jane Holden are you pregnant?" Ohh my God, her daughter was pregnant and now she thought she had to marry her baby daddy! Claudia Joy could feel her throat tightening; she was going to be a grandma maybe!

"He didn't propose, just sort of, kind of. And God, Mom I'm not pregnant... weren't you just saying a second ago that I could talk to you." Emmalin rolled her eye. Leave it to her mother to accuse her of being pregnant. If Emmalin and Jeremy walked to the mailbox together Claudia Joy got paranoid and accused them of pregnancy…yeah, literally.

"I'm sorry…it's just why would you want to be married? Honey, you're both so young."

"I love him you know. And if you loved somebody wouldn't you want to spend forever together?" Emmalin smiled.

"Emmalin love isn't enough to marry someone, marriage is so much more than that." Claudia Joy rubbed her daughter's back.

"Mom, if you were my age when you met Dad would you still have married him?" She asked.

"…I don't know." Claudia Joy paused.

"Think about it."

"Yes, I would still have married your father." The Army Wife said confidently.

"Why?" Emmalin pushed.

"Because he's the only man for me." Claudia Joy said matter-of-factly.

"And why would Jeremy be any different for me?" Emmalin smiled.

"…You're still to young."

"We're not even engaged, and even if we were we'd wait awhile before jumping the broom." Emmalin assured her still nervous mother.

"If Jeremy proposed would you have said yes?" Curiosity killed the cat.

"Without a doubt." Emmalin laughed. In a heartbeat, to the moon and back, for every thing: yes. If he asked she would answer yes.

"…These cookies are salty." Claudia Joy spit out the bite of white chocolate macadamia nut cookie she'd taken. Damn, these where awful.

"Sorry…I was crying when I made them." Emmalin grimaced. Darn it, she knew she should've stopped crying in the batter.

"Well if I promise to be your temporary confidante while Jeremy's gone, will you promise to stop baking?" Claudia Joy asked after gargling with water to clean her mouth of the salty cookie.

"…Will you help me mail the cookies I've made to Jeremy and Dad?" Emmalin raised a brow.

"Sweetheart if you mail these to Jeremy, you'll never get that proposal." Claudia Joy burst out laughing. If he got a care package filled with these cookies, the man would never buy a ring!

And that's how Emmalin learned to cope. With her mother rolling on the floor laughing, with flour in her dark hair, and with her brownies catching on fire in the over.

Sure, Emmalin still missed Jeremy more than anything but like the Army and the Army Wives; the girlfriends have their own code too.


	34. Home Sweet Home

Disclaimer: I Own Nothing :'( if I did…and I'm such a procrastinator that it probably would be a disaster if I did.

Author's Note: I am terrible, terrible author, if I were you guys I would hate me :'( I wait entirely too long between updates! I used to put a new chapter up like every three days, and now I'm awful; so I do apologize :'( just remember the more reviews I get the sooner I update ;)

Ohhh and p.s. If Tanya disappears this season I give my WORD to post three new chapters!...that's how much I want her gone :/

His palms were sweaty, sweatier than they should've been. Specialist Jeremy Sherwood also knew that if he let his father sleep on his shoulder any longer, the man would probably drool all down the front of his ACUs.

With a gentle nudge to the rib, Jeremy woke the sleeping officer. Frank Sherwood was alert imedietly, his eyes wide as he pulled his head off his son's shoulder.

Looking back and forth, Frank asked Jeremy, "We landing yet, boy?"

Frank looked across the air force jet, passengers were sleeping, air attendants were checking seatbelts, and nothing had much changed since before Frank had fallen into dreamland.

"No, Sir. We've got at least two more hours…I just didn't want you drooling on me anymore." The almost twenty year old told his father. He wiped his overly sweaty palms on his ACU pants.

"Whoops, sorry. You get any sleep boy?" Frank yawned, dabbing at some drool on his lips.

"No, Sir." The enlisted man said distractedly, his mind was anywhere but this air force craft.

"Why not. It's a fourteen hour flight, you're gonna be exhausted when we get home." Frank raised a brow. They were closer now then they had ever been, but deep heart-to-hearts still didn't come easy. Frank knew there were touchy subject Jeremy didn't like talking about, God, he hoped he wasn't walking into one.

"I just couldn't sleep, Dad." Jeremy sighed.

"…Why?" Frank hesitated.

"Been thinking." The soldier said simply. God, neither one of them was good at this.

"…About?" Frank pushed. He was pushy and he knew, Dee told him all the time not to push Jeremy, just let him come to him….he couldn't help it, that's how he showed he cared.

"Mom, the new baby…Emmalin." Jeremy bit his lip nervously.

"Mostly Emmalin, I'd guess?" Frank took a wild shot in the dark.

"Of course." He chuckled.

"What's the problem then, boy?" Geez, this wasn't hard. This was simple, this he could handle…unless Jeremy wanted to break up with his boss/best friend's daughter…that was badddd.

"What if she's changed while I've been overseas? What if she's decided she wants to move on, you know, couldn't handle a guy that's been gone for so long." Jeremy sighed, rubbing his shoulder nervously.

"Hahahaha, boy, I don't think I've ever seen you this nervous." Frank laughed.

"Glad to amuse you, ol' man." Jeremy frowned, clearly not amused himself.

"Oh you know what I mean. And don't worry, it's Emmalin you're coming home to, you write her every five minutes, call her every Thursday and God knows how many time's you've emailed her since you've been gone. In order to grow apart you actually have to not speak every single waking moment of the day. She hasn't changed, she loves you just at much as she did when you pulled out of Fort Marshall." The Officer said reassuringly, patting his son on the shoulder.

"I guess but…" Jeremy hesitated, not completely convinced.

"No 'but's. You love her, she loves you; I can't seem to find a problem here boy. This fear you have right now, its just cause you've never come home to someone before. I got it the first time I came back to your Mom, it'll go away by the time we land." Frank patted his son's buzz cut and then grabbed his blanket and resumed his resting position on his son's shoulder. Telling his 'boy' to get some sleep was his final command before he began snoring.

"Alright Dad." Jeremy smiled at his now drooling father.

Love-love-love-love-love-love-love-love

"Does this look okay?" Emmalin Holden asked, swirling around in a purple sundress.

Claudia Joy Holden and Roxy LeBlanc watched quietly as Emmalin modeled what had to be the 37th dress that morning.

"Sweetheart, it looks great. The last seven dresses you tried on looked great too." Claudia Joy frowned; picking a dress shouldn't be nearly this difficult. She was glad her daughter wanted to look nice when the troops came home today, but this was insane.

"Well which one do you think Jeremy will like best?" Emmalin asked still wearing the purple dress, but now holding up a yellow one and a green one.

"I don't know Emmalin." Claudia Joy sighed. This was exhausting.

"Guess." Emmalin replied, gesturing to the mountain of dresses behind her.

"Emmal-" the Army Wife began. She looked towards Roxy for help but the younger Army Wife waved her hands in a gesture of surrender.

"Guess." Emmalin interrupted firmly. It was an option, this was mandatory.

"The blue one." Claudia Joy said nervously, hoping blue was the answer her daughter was looking for.

"The blue one?" the eighteen year old repeated, "Yeah, he's always liked it when I wear blue." Emmalin smiled. 'She was going to wear the blue one, this was a good idea, and Jeremy likes the color blue.' Emmalin thought.

"Okay but honey I don't think you need to worry so much, I can't really imagine Jeremy being worried about what color dress you're wearing." Claudia Joy said carefully.

"Yeah, it's all about what's underneath the dress anyways! He just wants sexy panties!" Roxy suggested!

"Roxy!" Claudia Joy gasped.

"…It's true." The Army Wife shrugged. Well, it was true…

"Honey, what I was trying to say is that Jeremy loves you too much to care about what color dress you're wearing."

"I know that Mom, but that doesn't mean I don't want to look nice. It's special…. Jeremy's coming home, and it's his first deployment since we've been together…and I want to look nice, okay?" Emmalin sighed frustrated.

"The blue dress then." Claudia Joy smiled.

Love-love-love-love-love-love-love-love

The combination of the warm humid South Carolina air and the warm body masses tightly packed together, made the airport hot and suffocating.

But the suffocating part could just be her nerves. Emmalin Holden was a box of ranging emotions. She was nervous, and excited, and happy, and she even felt like she was about to throw up.

Emmalin had been waiting for this moment for months, and now that it was here she just wanted it to be perfect. The perfect dress, the perfect welcome home kiss…the perfect everything. She was taking extraordinary care with every last detail. The Army Brat had even spent three hours picking out the right pair of underwear this morning.

Then suddenly, when she saw those familiar broad shoulders with duffel casually slung over one of them. The pearly white grin that he usually saved for her adorned his face. God, it's like she'd never been nervous in the first place.

She had her arms around his faster then anyone could have thought possible, her lips kissing him everywhere, hands stroking his hair and cheeks, feeling the muscles on his back and arms. Without realizing it, she had started crying.

"Why are you crying, baby?" He whispered against her ear, his rough calloused thumb dabbing at the salty trails.

"I'm just really happy you're home, Jeremy." She mumbled into his shoulder.

"Me too, baby." Jeremy laughed, running his hand through her long chocolate hair.

The old saying, "Home Sweet Home" couldn't be more true.


	35. Two to Tango

Sitting on the floor of Specialist Jeremy Sherwood's bathroom, Emmalin Holden fought back the urge to ball her eyes out. She had let herself in while Jeremy was at work, it was just her. Curled up on the gray linoleum tile wearing Jeremy's sweats and t-shirt about to cry. How did this happen?

Emmalin wasn't strong enough to do this she realized. Waiting for Jeremy would've been so much smarter, he was the strong one, the rock, the brave one. But he wasn't here, because he had no idea about this. No idea that his girlfriend was near tears on the floor of his apartment while he was off taking a fitness test.

Now why would Emmalin Holden be a hot mess in the middle of the afternoon on a Monday? Why would she be a hot mess in the middle of Jeremy Sherwood's bathroom? Especially when he wasn't even present? Because having a boyfriend leads to sex, and sex leads to pregnancy, which she might have. Or be? She might be pregnant, not have pregnancy? Saying that you 'have pregnancy' made it sound lethal like cancer or something.

She hadn't missed one dose of her birth control pill! Not one, so why the pregnancy scare? Because she had been on antibiotics for five days for the flu…and as it turns out antibiotics cancel out oral contraceptives. God, it's funny that the pharmacist or her doctor hadn't mentioned that before she had left either of their offices.

Staring at the three tests lined up on the bathroom counter, the Army Brat nearly started hyperventilating. She had no more knowledge of being pregnant or not than she did when she woke up that morning. Emmalin had gone to the PX this morning and picked up a pregnancy test and as if that wasn't traumatizing enough, the test was defective! Instead of a little plus or minus appearing in the small window there was a division sign and three dots! What the hell was that supposed to mean?

Swallowing her fears, the Army Brat returned to the PX for another try. This time she was smart enough to pick up two tests, a different brand that read either 'pregnant' or 'not pregnant' to minimize confusion. But much to the brunette's dismay one said 'pregnant' and the other 'not pregnant'. Contradicting tests, that was just soooooo freaking fantastic.

"Baby? You here?" Specialist Jeremy Sherwood called as he entered his apartment. Just hearing Jeremy's deep baritone voice was enough to make Emmalin long for him.

She knew she had to get off of the floor but she couldn't find the strength to move. The salty tears that threatened to fall from earlier where now spilling down her cheeks. How was she supposed to tell him that she might be having a baby?

"Yeah." Emmalin replied, choking back sobs. She felt an overwhelming sense of guilt. Guilt because she knew what her being pregnant out of wedlock would do to his career. She was a General's daughter, the Post Commander's daughter and this would be utterly scandalous across Post. Jeremy's promising military career would be destroyed, all of his potential wasted, any chances of future promotion gone…because of her.

She could already hear the awful things Lenore Baker-Ludwig would say to her poor mother. And Jennifer Connor would probably harass Claudia Joy at any and all FRG meetings as well. What would become of her mother's Spencer Award? And her father….would kill Jeremy. Hell, Jeremy's father would kill Jeremy.

"What are you doing on the floor?" Jeremy asked, his bare feet dragging across the gray linoleum. He was bone tired, every muscle in his body was in dire need of a rubdown. He hated training new recruits, and couldn't figure out how he'd gotten stuck with the nightmare duty. "Baby, are you crying? What's wrong?" Jeremy's chocolate colored eyes took his girlfriend in slowly. She was a huddled, crying mess on his bathroom floor; wearing a cotton tee and old gray seats, both articles of clothing were his and hung very loosely on her small frame.

"I…I…we…" The brunette struggled to explain as she began balling her eyes out. Emmalin sobbed as Jeremy sat down on the floor next to her. Strong arms wrapped around her protectively, pulling her into his lap.

"Emmalin, what's the matter?" His lips kissed away the wet tears on her cheeks as he stroked her hair softly. It killed the soldier to see her like this.

"I'm late." Emmalin said shamefully, wrapping her arms around the Specialist's neck.

"Late? For what?" Jeremy asked momentarily confused until realization dawned on him, "Oh…you mean late as in-"

"Yeah. Late as in late for my period." Emmalin interrupted, clutching the soldier even tighter. His warm, calloused hand began rubbing soft circles in the small of her back, something he knew she loved.

"But you're on the pill?" He asked. The pill was 99.9% affective, what where the chances that they were that .1%?

"I was on medicine, antibiotics...they…they cancel t-the pill out" The eighteen year old admitted, a waterfall of tears now.

"And you didn't tell me?" He asked. Jeremy was confused, but not angry, why wouldn't she tell him about this?

"I just found out and didn't want to worry you until something happened…or didn't happen." Emmalin whispered, burying herself in the Jeremy chest.

"Baby, you should've said something. Did you take a test yet?" His lips trailed across her forehead before kissing away the remaining saltwater droplets on her cheeks.

"Three. One didn't work and the other two had different results." Emmalin explained her voice a mere whisper. With shaky hands she passed the tests to Jeremy, letting him see for himself.

"Are you sure you did it right?" He examined each of the small sticks, clearly uncomfortable. He didn't even like buying her tampons, did he really have to touch the baby sticks? Jeremy would much rather just take Emmalin's word for it. If she said the tests didn't work, well damn it that was good enough for him.

"Ahh, no I'm far to retarded to know how to pee on a stick, Jeremy!" The Army Brat growled. Was it crazy that he was hoping for that outburst to be PMS?

"That's not what I meant. And I'll take you to Mercer tomorrow and we'll get a blood test." Jeremy suggested, trying to mellow her out.

"If…If I'm pregnant, I won't kill it. I'll keep the baby and you can't talk me out of it…" Emmalin proclaimed, "You don't have to stay…we're not married and you don't need to throw everything away because of me. I'd understand…and I'd lie for you…say that it's someone else's…"

"Baby, what the hell are you talking about? I'm not leaving you and I could never ask you to kill our baby." His eyes widened at her. Had Emmalin lost her mind? Did she really thing he would leave her pregnant and alone with his child? And even though the last thing Jeremy would have planned at twenty years old was a baby, he could never demand that she terminate it…if it was there. They didn't actually know at the moment whether there was an "it" to leave or not.

"You won't leave? Jeremy, if I'm pregnant then your career is finished. I couldn't do that to you." Emmalin whispered as his hand reached up to cup her face.

"That's what this is about? The Army? Baby, I don't give a damn about the Army." He kissed her cheek, and chuckled, "I'd pick you over them every time. I'll marry you and take care of you and the baby, and you could still start school in the fall. You mean more to me than the Army."

"You'll marry me?" Emmalin looked directly at Jeremy. If she was pregnant he'd stay and marry her.

"Of course. You've always been the one I wanted to spend my life with-" Jeremy smirked,

"You wanna spend forever with me?" the Army Brat interrupted.

"Longer." His apricot colored lips pecked her rosy ones softly. The taste of salt slightly on her lips.

"And if I'm not pregnant? Then what?" Emmalin asked breathlessly, leaning her head on her boyfriend's chest.

"Then I'm still not leaving you…but we're getting you on different birth control. Something that isn't counteracted by medicine, like the DepoShot or the patch or something." He rubbed her back softly.

"Are you mad?" the eighteen year old asked nervously.

"At you?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow at the question.

"At all?" Her teeth bit into her bottom lip nervously

"No…it takes two to tango after all." Jeremy chuckled. Why would he be mad at her, it's not like Emmalin had gotten herself pregnant. He had been of some assistance.

"Why are you so calm, Jeremy?" Emmalin laughed, she smiled and stroked his cheek with her thumb. She was right, she should have waited for him before taking the test. He was the strong one.

"Well, I love you and it's gonna be okay, baby or no baby." Jeremy whispered into her ear, then kissed her cheek and went off in search of the phone to set up the Dr's appointment. It was time to find out if their was a baby Sherwood on the way or not.


	36. Author's Note

Dear Incredible Readers,

Sooo…as I'm sure lots of you have noticed, I've been alittle slow on the updates lately. Let me go ahead and explain the reasoning behind this, I dropped my MacBook down a flight of stairs while unmoving….I know, stupidest thing ever. Even stupider? My warranty doesn't cover the damages :'(

Luckily, all my files where saved on a flash drive. What most of you don't know is that I've pre-written most of the story, and quite a bit of the planned sequel I had. It's just waiting to be finished and edited, then ready to upload.

But due to the way the most recent episodes of Army Wives have played out, I don't know if I'll be able to complete this story or ever upload my sequel, or accompanying one-shots. Since one of the main characters died (which is terrible, and I think a horrible idea of writer's and producers of the show).

I have lots of contemplating to do, and will decide soon as to whether or not to continue. It would be a great deal of help, if I knew if the reader's (you) would prefer for me to finish this story.

Thank you, both for your support of my story, along with great reviews, and your dedication.

With extra huge thanks to my beta Sarah.

Love, Riley Devockna.


	37. Dr's Delivery

AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay sooooo I received a very overwhelming response to continue this story. Seriously I received more reviews on that author's note than any other chapter. I think it was a close to 50 reviews in like two days or something similar to that number? Sooo by popular demand I will contuine this story (and hopefully the sequel)

And thanks to all who sent their condolences for my MacBook.

RIP Riley's MacBook, You Will Be Forever In Our Hearts.

On a side note, I've decided that I'm just no longer happy with the story lines and creative direction of the show. I havent been since early during the fourth season, and I just don't think I'll be watching anymore. I will continue this story regardless though.

PS: I want to thank sooo many wonderful reviewers and fans, and people who've written in to me! LOVE YOU!

Especially **Sarah** my BETA! And I would really like to encourage everyone to read all the AW stories by author **'UnwittySidekick' **I really enjoy them and if you like my stories you might enjoy her's too! :)

-Read-and-Review-Read-and-Review-Read-and-Review

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound of a beating heart. Thundering through his ribcage. Jeremy Sherwood sighed, wondering if anyone else thought his heartbeat was too loud.

This out of control beating ricocheting from his chest wasn't the only sign of the soldier's shaky nerves. His hands were sweating more now than they had in his whole life. His mind was reeling with possible scenarios soaring through his head in the time span of one second.

In the waiting room chair to his left, Emmalin Holden wasn't fairing much better. The eighteen year old kept looking at him like he could fix everything. And as much as Jeremy wished he did, he just didn't have the answers this time…in fact some would probably go as far as to say it was all his fault.

Funny how in the middle of a war zone, he knew just what to do. With a rifle in his hands under the hard steel rain known as mortar he didn't flinch once. A humvee blew up, ohh no big deal, just another day. Shot again, ohh well it happens. But send him to a gyno's office and he felt like he was about to be sick.

"Are you scared?" Emmalin asked, reaching for his hand. Her amber eyes were roaming the waiting room floor nervously.

If it was this hard on him, he couldn't imagine what she must be thinking.

Jeremy sucked in a deep breath…there could be a tiny little person inside Emmalin right now. Mind shattering.

"…yeah. You?" Specialist Sherwood answered finally, after a moment of shaking silence. He gave her small hand a gentle squeeze, bringing the finger tips to his lips for a soft kiss.

"Of course. We might be parents….we might be parents." Emmalin said frightened. She leaned her head against her boyfriend's shoulder.

"Yeah." He couldn't be a Dad. Dad's sat through ballet recitals, and beat up boyfriends, taught you how to shave and…and told bad jokes, and other stuff that he clearly didn't do.

"Jeremy…I can't even remember to do my laundry, how am I supposed to take care of a baby. And what do I tell my parents?" Emmalin whispered, fear evident in her voice. When you found out someone else was/might be pregnant it was scary…but when you were the one who might be creating a little life force in your stomach it was horrifying. Not that Emmalin didn't love and adore babies, because she did! They had that new baby smell and you got to watch them crawl and take their first step, and learn their first words, and show them a new interesting world that they were just being introduced to.

Babies, came and then everything changed, good changes and bad changes. Bad like giving up your free time for diaper changing and your peaceful nights for sleep deprivation. But you got to watch them grow, and learn and look at all the wonderful things that made that baby a mix of you and the other parent.

A few years down the road would Emmalin get to watch Jeremy teach a new little boy how to play catch? Would she put bows in a little girls hair?

Would the baby have Jeremy's eyes and her smile? Maybe Jeremy's smile and her eyes? Would the baby be a little mini Jeremy with chubby cheeks and a sense of humor just like his? Or would the baby love hockey and sleep with a teddy bear until it was fourteen like she did? The possibilities intrigued the Army Brat.

"Well after your dad kills me, I assume you'll have to get used to being a single mom." Jeremy teased as he leaned over and pecked Emmalin's forehead soothingly.

"Ha Ha Ha, very funny." She smiled, stroking his cheek with the pad of her thumb.

As scary as all this was, Emmalin Holden's heart glowed at the image of Jeremy holding a new born baby with chubby cheeks and her eyes. She smiled at the sight of him teaching a two year old how to play catch. And she laughed thinking about how he'd try to teach their baby how to feed itself with a fork and probably end up in an all out food fight, covered in food instead. She could see him teaching their little boy or girl how to ride their bike all by themselves.

'I want that.' Emmalin Holden thought silently, looking at Jeremy while picturing them raising a baby.

"I'm not kidding." Jeremy sighed, picturing the vain on his dad's neck throb right before he reached out to strangle his only son. Telling your 'John Wayne'-esqe father that you got your girlfriend, his boss/best friend's daughter, pregnant could prove to be potentially fatal.

"What are we supposed to do?" Emmalin asked, much more calm and cheerful now. The fear was there still, but now there was a much bigger joy accompanying it.

"Get married. Move in together. Raise a baby for eighteen years. Isn't that how this kinda thing goes?" the Soldier suggested. Fiddling his thumbs nervously.

"You think? Someone told me once that all babies need is love right?" Emmalin smiled. This was going to be okay. If she had a baby now, it would be hard. Terribly hard, but it wouldn't be the end of the world and she knew with absolute certainty that she would love that baby.

"No. Babies need food, and clothes, and stuff. Love does not support babies, Emmalin." Jeremy's eyes widened. Was she off her God damn rocker? Babie need a place to live and money, and food, and lots of other things besides just love. Like health insurance and strollers, and cribs, and bedding, and clothes. And other things that he really didn't know if he could provide at the moment. And what about Emmalin's schooling, how would college fit in with a baby?

"But we can do it right…I mean IF I'm pregnant, we could do it right?" Emmalin asked. She knew they could, without a doubt in her mind. But Jeremy had to believe it too.

"Well I'm not willing to quit until we find out." Jeremy replied. He didn't want a baby. Not now anyway. Maybe a few years down the road, after getting married, and finding a nice house, maybe after college even.

"Miss Holden." a Doctor called, wearing camouflage scrubs and a holding a clipboard.

"Here." Emmalin called, standing from her chair and pulling her boyfriend with her.

"You know…I've never been to the gyno before." Jeremy whispered in her ear, a bundle of nerves.

"It's not fun. Trust me." Emmalin giggled, recalling her last gyno experience with an overly peppy doctor fresh out of med school.

"I love you, you know. Even if you get really fat, and can't fit into your clothes anymore. I still love you." Jeremy nodded reassuringly. Smiling and leaning down to peck her cheek.

"Touching Jeremy." the hockey player rolled her eyes before answering, "Love you too."

They followed the middle aged Doctor down a hall as he led them to an examining room. A light green painted room, with a small exam table covered in paper and a set of chairs.

"It says here, you're here for a pregnancy test? Did you take an at-home test yet?" Dr. Shaw asked curiously. He was an older man with graying hair, and a bald spot on the top of his head. He pulled out glasses and slung them on the bridge of his nose before studying his clipboard thoroughly.

"Yes. More than one, we kept getting mixed answers." Emmalin explained, waiting for the barrage of uncomfortable questions to come barreling out of the Army Doctor's mouth.

"Is this your first pregnancy scare, Miss Holden?" Dr. Shaw asked, his eyes never leaving his clipboard as he scribbled every word down.

"Yes. I've been on the pill." Emmalin gulped.

"Did you miss a dose?" Raising an eyebrow.

"No…I was on anti-biotics." Emmalin replied. Jeremy's hand smoothing hair out of her eyes, reassuringly.

"Is this the possible Daddy?" the Man questioned, gesturing with a finger towards Jeremy.

What was that supposed to mean? Possible Daddy? You mean he couldn't tell?

"Well good. Let's get started. Roll up your sleeve for some blood work. And then I'll have you take a urine test." Dr Shaw instructed. All business. Something military doctors were famous for.

"Great now we'll just have to be patient for the lab work. The results should be back in thirty minutes or so." After collecting the samples, and taking his leave.

The room was suddenly more tension filled. In thirty minutes Emmalin Holden and Jeremy Sherwood would find out if they were expecting or not. If they'd have a new little Sherwood in nine months, or not.

Jeremy was panicking and Emmalin took this moment to consider possible baby names, teasing him with particularly bad options.

When finally after an agonizing forty minutes had passed, waiting is often the worst part of anything you see, Dr Shaw peeked his head back into their little exam area. His hand filled with his previous clipboard but now also containing a folder of results that determined the rest of their lives.

"Here they are. We have determined that you're not pregnant. However the reason your period's been late and that the pregnancy tests were wrong is because of a hormone imbalance. You're bodies producing too much estrogene thanks to the anti-botics and the birth control being taken at the same time. You'll need to take a shot to regulate your hormone levels and use a condom until you can resume the pill." Dr Shaw explained, slipping his glasses off his face and sliding them into a pouch in the front of his Army scrubs.

He paused for a few more brief seconds to let the news sink in.

The look of delight on Jeremy's face must have let him know that the news had sunk in.

"Thanks." Emmalin cringed when Jeremy told the Dr thank you. Didn't even a small part of him want a baby the way she did. A mixture of the two of them…did he want that at all?

"You dodged a bullet there….we have condoms provided, and we have pamplets instructing you how to use them if nessacary." Dr Shaw lectured.

"Trust me, it's not." Jeremy tried to assure Dr. Shaw

"I insist. I don't want to see you both in here again." Dr. Shaw came back swinging, trying to force a grocery sized bag of rubbers in the Specialists arms.

"I've got it covered…" Jeremy said, trying to be nice when returning what must have been at least a hundred and five condoms to the Dr.

"That's the right attitude. Cover your stump before you hump! Or wrap your whacker before you attack her!" Dr Shaw laughed, shoving the bag back into the twenty year old's arms. Laughing as he took his leave once again.

"I think he's determined for you to leave here with those honey." Emmalin laughed, pointing towards Jeremy's collection of condoms. But her heart was heavy as she thought of the baby she wouldn't be having.

She didn't know what would've been worse.

Finding out she was pregnant…or finding out she wasn't pregnant and wanted to be…


End file.
